A bunch of love stories
by kklo
Summary: A couple of old romance-action fanfictions I wrote a long time ago. They aren't very good and I cringe when reading them, although some people might think they are -cute-. Bad grammar, bad language and slimy love scenes are present here.
1. Madness

Madness

Madness  
****

Author: Ludwig Tr. (1997/98)  
Genre: Thriller  
  
Charley looked very serious and so calm and her gaze was forever captured.  
A man's hand touched her face and moved slowly down his hand over her throat while he whispered: "_My Charley, you're my only love in this life..._"  
Suddenly he stabbed a sharp needle in Charley's left eye.  
"_Charlene..._ _Don't do this to me, my love...or I'll hurt you...I will really hurt you..._"  
With a loud scream of madness stabbed he the photo badly enough to rip it into two pieces. Like in slow-motion fel the pieces to the clean floor.  
  


***

  
"Hello Charley babe!! What took you so long??" exclaimed Vinnie when Charley came back to the garage with their breakfast.  
She rolled her eyes and put the food on the table.  
"Thanks Charley-maam." said Modo as politely as always.  
The mice started to eat and it sounded very unpleasant so Charley almost felt a relief when the phone suddenly rang and she hurried to answer.  
"Hello, Charley Davidson here."  
She got no answer, just heavy breaths.  
"Hallo? Is there anyone there?"  
The voice who answered her was a loud whisper: "_Charlene, don't do it._"  
She wasn't afraid, just curious and asked: "What? Who is it?"  
Silence, then: "_You think you're so good, and I will show you your place, my love....I will..._"  
A cold feeling filled Charley and her voice was low and weak when she said: "Who are you?"  
"_Stop hanging around with that macho-mouse Charley, or I will be forced to terminate him...nothing is going to stand in the way between us, my Charley..._"  
Charley hung up and suddenly realized that she was shaking.  
The Bikermice recognized her new mood and stopped eating.  
"Charley, who was it?"  
"No one Throttle... Just someone who...had dialed a wrong number."  
Throttle got up went over to her.  
"What was that about?"  
"It was someone, he said...no, I don't want to remember it!"  
Very gently laid Throttle his arm around her and said comforting: "Don't worry Charley. We're here, don't be scared."  
The fear didn't leave her anyway.  
  


***

  
"**Mr. Limburger!**"  
Limburger turned around in his armchair and his gaze fell on the man who was standing on the other side of his desk.  
"I haven't got much time, so I want to make this little meeting as fast as possible."  
"Tony, dear partner," said Limburger in a sly voice, "don't worry about your time and do your work."  
"If you haven't anything important to say, let me know so I can leave at once!"  
A long silence followed but Limburger broke it.  
"I want you to fix a better staff, but not an expensive one."  
"**_Excuse me?_**"  
"My goons aren't effective, I need new ones."  
"Oh, impressing that you found out at least. But, better late than never Mr. Limburger. I know where I can fix a professional staff instead of the mobs you have now."  
He turned around, and started to walk out.  
"I hope you're not thinking about the crimes in the pit."  
Tony stopped and gave Limburger a last gaze.  
"I know what I am doing, trust me."  
He left.  
Limburger took up a little handkerchief and tried to remove the sweat in his face.  
Tony Amberlay was a dangerous kind and it was more dangerous to try to fool him.  
He got up slowly and hurried down to Karbunkle's lab.  
Dr. Karbunkle was busy with work, he was trying to replace Fred's octopus-arm.  
"Doc, doc!" Fred laughed. "No anaesthesia, no anaesthesia! HO HO HO, the pain is wonderful, ho ho ho!"  
"Shut up, creep!" roared Limburger and turned to Karbunkle.  
"Tony Amberlay was here a while ago."  
A scared grin showed up in the doctors face. "And?"  
"He will replace our old goons, with better ones. But he wants a lot of money in return and the problem is that Plutark is not willing to give me more money because Lord Camembret doesn't trust me."  
"Amberlay is going to turn you into cat-food!" said Karbunkle and pulled up a sharp scalpel.  
"Right, dear doctor. I thought you would do something to prevent that. Create something which takes his will away, so we can control him."  
"_Create something which takes his will away..._" muttered Karbunkel. "It's easier said than done, IF we try and it FAILS, I will get huge troubles."  
"Sorry doctor, but you have no choice. What are you going to do if I disappear? Would you have a lab, or a place to live?"  
Karbunkle gave up.  
"All right, I will try to make something!"   
"Good, but you'd better hurry up."  
"What?"  
"He wants his payment tomorrow!" Limburger said when he left the lab.  
Karbunkle growled and stabbed the scalpel in Fred's arm.  
"AOUHHH....PAIN PAIN! HA HA HA!"  
"**_QUIET!_**"  
  


***

  
In The Last Chance Garage had Charley almost forgotten the uncomfortable phone-call.  
Suddenly Vinnie said: "Hey bros, I'm **really** bored! Shouldn't we check out what Limburger is doing?"  
Throttle shrugged his shoulders.  
It had been very quiet the last week, maybe something was going on?  
"Okay bros. Let's see if they're working with something."  
Charley put her helmet on but Vinnie said: "Sorry sweetheart. This is Bikermice-work."  
She groaned and took her helmet off when she saw them leave.  
The phone rang again and she answered.  
"Hello?"  
"_Charley..._"  
She felt her body freeze, and she tried to speak: "St-stop this! I have powerful f-friends here..."  
"_Yes, I know. But they're not there, you're alone. It's just you and me Charlene..._"  
She smashed the reciever down and breathed auickly. Her heart pounded fast, very fast.  
The phone rang again, and again, and again.  
Charley unplugged it and the silence laid over the garage.  
Quickly she ran over to the door and locked it. She did the same with the garage-port.  
She felt safer when it was done and went upstairs.  
A good book should help her to forget the calls until the guys come back.  
The minutes started to pass and she felt more and more safe for every minute.  
After twenty minutes had she forgotten everything again,but suddenly could she hear something.  
Sounds from the door.  
Fear grabbed her and held her in a firm grip.  
"_The lock is safe, no one can come in, no one..._"  
It was silent, then she heard a '**click!**' and the sound when someone opened the door, then shut it.  
Charley moved fast now.  
Ran into the bathroom, locked the door and then listened but didn't hear anything.  
But suddenly she heard how someone started to vissle. A strange melody. Then started a voice to sing, lowly.  
"Charlene, my little girl. I will find you and I know you're in there. You can run and you can hide. But you can never escape from me. I will get you little girl and I will get you soon!"  
The voice was soft and deep. It came closer.  
Charley jerked away when the man tested to open the door.  
"Little girl, little girl, let me in. You are captured...open for me, Charlene Davidson..."  
Then the song faded out into a cold laugh and a band came when the door slammed open.  
  


***

  
Silent echoes from shoes were heard in the dark building.  
They were the footsteps from a woman in the age of 28. She was slim and dressed in red clothes.  
Her name was Amanda Shannon and she was a skilled computer programmer.  
It had not been easy to go through all the classes, especilly since she was female and men didn't expect women to develope computer sences.  
There were a lot of white papers laying on the table. She took them in her left hand and walked back to her workroom.  
Her room was a real mess and she sighed when she understood that she had to clean it up soon.  
A single computer was staying there and worked with endless lines of letters. Around it were tons of papers spread everywhere.  
"This is going to be a lo-oong day." she said to herself.  
Amberlay wanted her to finish the work until next day.  
She sighed, when she thought of him. He was no man she dared to play with, it was only to do as he told if she wanted to stay healthy.  
Her thoughts flew away and she wished she could just leave everything and re-start her life, try to find someone who really loved her. But it was too late for that now.  
"But when I get a chance, I will leave everything here." she promissed herself.  
  


***

  
The Bikermice watched Greasepit and the other goons confused and amused.  
Some goons were playing like small kids when they tried to play baseball.  
It was clear that they hadn't anything to do and Limburger wasn't working with anything bad for the moment.  
The bros sighed disappointed, because they had expected some action this day.  
So they left and rode back to the Garage.  
When they arrived did they realize that something was wrong. The front-door was wide-open and that strange.  
Throttle used the remote-control to open the port and they got off the bikes.  
Charley wasn't in the garage.  
"Charley babe, we're hoo-oomee!" yelled Vinnie.  
No answer.  
"Maybe she is upstairs and sleeping?" suggested Modo. "So let's be quiet and check it out."  
There wasn't anyone on the second floor and Charley wasn't laying on the bed.  
But when they looked at the bathroom did they almost get a shock.  
The door was completely destroyed and pieces of it were laying around it.  
Bikermice just stared at the sight, when they heard a sound from the bathroom.  
Throttle pulled out his gun and walked towards it and then looked in.  
Charley sat in the shower and stared at the wall, shaking.  
"_Oh mama!_ What has happened!?" Modo gasped.  
He walked in, and sat down beside Charley.  
"Charley, are you allright?"  
She didn't answer him, her gaze was fixed on the wall. He eyes were still panicked  
Modo shoke her a little and she woke up from her trance, turned her head around and stared at them.  
"Calm down Charley-girl." Throttle said slowly and held her. "Whatever it was which happened, it is over now."  
He heard her whisper an answer: "_It's not over..it's not over..._"  
  


***

  
"Amanda!" roared Tony.  
She jumped up from the chair and hissed: "Don't you _EVER_ scare me like that again!"  
"Shut up! You are just a fucking bitch! As all the other women! **Whores**, all of them!"  
"_DON'T YOU CALL ME WHO_...**_Ouch!_**"  
It took Amanda a couple of seconds to understand that he had hit her, hard.  
Her nose bled and she just stared at Tony's cold face.  
"Be quiet when I am talking! Don't you ever try to argue with me!"  
She just stared, but understood that something hadn't went as he had thought.  
Her hatred for him blew up and he norrowed his eyes when he understood what she was thinking.  
"You listen very carefully! Contact Don Carramazza _at once_! Tell him to send us his five best men."  
"Y-yes, s-sir." she answered and tried to stop her nose-bleeding.  
Tony gave her a sick and scary gace before he left.  
Amanda shook and suddenly she fell to the floor and bursted into tears by fear, pain and despair.  
  


***

  
Another woman was crying at the same time in another part of Chicago.  
It took Charley a couple of hours to collect herself tell the mice what had happened.  
"...he sang...about that he would get me and started breoke up the door...I just sat there, shut my eyes...when I heard how he came in, and...and....and..."  
"Take it easy, Charley...we're here now, tell us slowly if you want to." Throttle said.  
Charley nodded, and wiped away some of her tears.  
"He entered the bathroom, and said: 'Now it's only you and me Charlene...and no one can save you...I will teach you to love me...' But suddenly he stopped and just disappeared...and a few minutes after you came up...and found me...."  
"Did you see him?" Vinnie asked and Charley shook her head.  
"No, I just shut my eyes. I have never heard his voice before..."  
"If I find out who that man is, I will **BREAK** his bones."  
Charley looked at him, smiling weakly.  
Even if she could handle most things in her life by herself, she was very glad to have these three macho mice around. Especially in a situation like this one.  
  


***

  
Tony Amberlay walked into the night-club.  
It was evening and it would open soon.  
He used his keys to open the door, and walked inside.  
In his left hand had he a little submachine-gun, an Ingram M11.  
The silencer was on it's right place and he was ready to do what he had to.  
In the office sat a man about 40 years old and he looked up when he saw Tony Amberlay.  
"What are YOU doing here?"  
Amberlay raised his weapon and pointed it at the man.  
"I am her to give you your last ride."  
He pulled the trigger and some short sounds could be heard and the man fell backwards.  
He had died immediately and red blood was covering the whole wall behind the desk.  
Tony smiled to himself and walked towards to the desk, grabbed some papers, looked at them and nodded slowly.  
The murder made him feel more content than before.  
Amelio Deranio wasn't an important man, but he had information which was important for Tony's business.  
It was better to not have him alive.  
When Tony walked out of the nighclub wandered his thoughts back to Charlene Davidson, her brown hair, her beautiful body.  
How he loved her, every part of her body...loved her. She would be the perfect woman for him, but he had to teach her first. Pain was the best teacher and Tony knew how to make pain.  
But he had to remove those Bikermice and ESPECIALLY that Vinnie-guy who tried to win her first.  
"_Don't dare to choose him before me..._" said Tony lowly, when he walked through the street. "_I will kill you if I have to...If I can't get you, no one else will either._"  
  
**

(

**©º°¨¨º°©****|§__To be continued...****§|©º°¨¨º°©****)  


  



	2. Sleeping danger

Sleeping danger

Sleeping Danger  
****

Author: Ludwig Tr. (1997/98)  
Genre: Thriller/Romance  
  
Stoker and Kickstart were very silent and tried to relax while they were sitting in their spaceship. It was programmed to take them to Earth. Chicago.  
"Stoker, you really think it was wise of us to travel down there alone?"  
"Throttle, Modo and Vinnie will help us. We don't need more soldiers, it's just an Earthling we are going to take care off."  
Kickstart shrugged his shoulders and continued to work with the computer he had in his knee.  
"It's strange..." Stoker said. "I thought you had repaired the system after the McDann event."  
"Yes, we did. But it looks like we never can gain a complete safety. Someone from Earth used an exploit that has supervised all activity in our system. Even if we always encrypting the information is it a big risk."  
Stoker sighed first, then exclaimed frustrated: "Why can't humans just keep their hands off our systems??"  
"Hmm, it's only that Frank Streds who has done it before and that was many years ago. Don't overeact."  
The old mouse didn't answer him and stared out of the ship's window and Kickstart thought if he should say something, but decided to continue with his work.  
  


***

  
Tony Amberlay's hands were working with some needles again.  
One needle in Charley's forehead, two in her chin and one on her nose. She _was_ beautiful.  
"_Soon my love nothing can stop me from getting you!_"  
He took out some darts and started to throw them at the photo.  
Suddenly he stopped, and looked at the wall in the little room. The wall was covered with photos of Charlene Davidson he had taken the latest weeks.  
Amberlay shut his eyes and saw her when she sat in the bathroom, scared, shaking.  
It was in that way he wanted her. She should be scared and she was.  
A stiletto laid on the table. He grabbed it, and stabbed the knife into the photo many times, hissing.  
Charley had been away for him for many years and now when he had found her, he couldn't let her escape.  
Couldn't let her run around with other men, he had to teach her to love him.  
Slowly he stopped to use the knife and kissed the photo very gently.  
"_Don't you ever make me hurt you...or I will be angry at you..._"  
  


***

  
Amanda sat outside Don Carramazza's office.  
She had made a decision, she was going to pray to the Big Man in there for help.  
For the fifth time gave Amanda her watch a look. She had been waited for almost 40 minutes!  
The door opened, and five dark-dressed men came out.  
One of them stopped and gave her an importunate look.  
Amanda stared back because she didn't like when men dressed her off with their looks.  
"You're our boss' girl, right?"  
"No!"  
"Amberlay's girl?"  
"**NO!** I'm NOT his girl! He's MY boss." Amanda answered annoyed.  
The man pulled off his dark sunglasses and looked at her, then said: "Aaah, I see...It looks like we have to be partners. It's going to be funny babe, it's going to be fun."  
He laughed, put the sunglasses on and followed the others.  
Amanda gave them a dark look and sighed. She HAD to leave. It was enough with that insane Tony, now she would have five idiots as partners too and at least one of them who were excited by her, then having that Limburger as a second boss.  
It was more than any human could take.  
She raised herself and entered the office without hessitation.  
The door closed behind her automatically when she was inside.  
He sat behind a big desk of golden marble and looked at her with his dark eyes.  
"Amanda Shannon. Long time since I last saw you, pretty lady. Are you here beacuse of the men who left right now? As you can see has Tony already fixed that. You can go if you haven't got anything to tell me."  
She narrowed her eyes and said: "Good. But I have to ask you a thing."  
"What?"  
"I can't work with Amberlay anymore, and he scares me. I want to leave, but I can't. Can you help me, please. I would like to work for you instead."  
The maffia-boss looked at her for a long time, then: "I'm sorry Mrs. Shannon. But I have not enough power to do something against Amberlay."  
"You are afraid of him too?"  
"Go now Mrs. Shannon."  
Without a word turned Amanda around and left the office filled of despair and anger.  
The Big Man looked after the young woman and shook his head slowly.  
  


***

  
Behind The Last Chance Garage landed a Spaceship.  
Stoker went out followed by Kickstart.  
Inside the garage had Charley fell into a deep sleep. The mice tried to play cards and watched her.  
They had decided to sleep in the garage over the night, so Charley would sleep well, and to protect her if that insane guy would show up again.  
They suddenly heard a load sound outside and Vinnie hurried to the backdoor and opened it.  
"Hello there, punk!"  
Vinnie was really surprised to see Stoker and Kickstart outside the door and didn't come up with any reply.  
Throttle and Modo went up and hurried to their old friends.  
They were all surprised over the visit and wanted to know what has brought Kickstart and Stoker to Earth of course.  
Stoker told them about their mission. That they had to find the earthling who surely had a lot of information, which was very dangerous in wrong hands.  
"So, we wonder if you want to help us? We have traced the earthling so we know where to go."  
"Well Stoke. Some bad things has happened...that's why Charley lays over there asleep, even if it's just early evening." Said Throttle quitely. "Dunno if it's too wise to leave her alone now."  
"What?" Asked Stoker a little bit worried. "What happened?"  
As fast as possible told Throttle them their own story about the phonecalls and how they had found Charley in the bathroom upstairs.  
"Looks like you have trouble too. But maybe Vincent here can stay and watch her. And you two can come with us." Said Kickstart  
The mice nodded and agreed that was a good idea.  
Kickstart sat behind Throttle and Stoker behind Modo when they rode off, following the tracer.  
It didn't take long time before they reached the target, a pretty large house.  
It was totally dark.  
"Okay, let's go inside and be careful!" Stoker said.  
They had their guns ready and tried to open the front-door. It was unlocked so they went in to the totally dark building.  
All four mice stopped and listened. No sounds, only silence.  
A hallaway with a few door was laying before them and Stoker tried to open one of the doors but it was locked.  
"Let me take care of that." Said Modo and broke the door up easily.  
But it was impossible to see anything in the dark room.  
Modo tried to find a button for the lamps, found it and the light chased the darkness away.  
The sight which met them was horrible that it made them all gasp.  
What they saw was clean white room, the only thing which stood in there was a table.  
A lot of strange tools were laying on it, things as nails, scalpels and knifes.  
But the things which made them most horrror-stucked were all the photos of Charley on the wall and what someone had done with them.  
There were nails, needles and ripps all over the photos, in some of them were darts stabbed.  
Some of the photos were so destoyed by knifes and darts so it was hard to see that it was Charley on them.  
"_Oh man..._ Throttle whispered.  
Someone open the frontdoor.  
Kickstart quickly turned the lights off and Throttle, Modo and Stoker pulled up their weapons.  
They heard upset breathes and footsteps which came closer to the room.  
A dark shadow was standing in the front if the door and looked into the room.  
Stoker turned on the lights quickly and Kickstart grabbed the person in the doorway.  
His eyes went big with surprise when he recognized that it was a woman who had captured.  
She was definitely shocked and tried to free herself so Kickstart just released her.  
The human watched the wall and the photos with feared eyes. She didn't gave the other mice a gaze, she just stared.  
"My god, oh...he's so _insane_...oh god..."  
This earthling was pretty short, about 5'6, had wavy brown hair and blue-grey eyes. They were filled with clear fear as she slowly backed off the photos as if she was scared that they were going to attack her.  
Kickstart laid his right hand on her shoulder.  
She turned around at once and stared at him.  
"Who are you, lady? What are you doing here?" Kickstart asked as gently as he could to not upset her.  
The woman just continued shook and started to cry silently.  
When he studied her face could Kickstart see that someone had hit her in the face. Her nose was fair red.  
"You wanna come with us? And tell us about this?" Throttle asked carefully.  
Now started she to stare at him instead, but nodded a little and said with a weak voice: "We must get away, before he comes back. "  
Throttle, Modo, Kickstart, Stoker and the unknowed woman walked out of the horrible room and turned the lights off.  
When Stoker closed the door whispered the woman: "Don't care about that. He will see that I have been in there, he will kill me. I'm so scared!  
"Who?"  
She tried to say a name, but her voice broke all the time. Kickstart laid his arm around her and to his surprise flew she into his arms and burried her face against his chest.  
He laid his arms around her back in reply, held her like that and talked calmly: "Take it easy...try to calm down."  
She slowly stopped sobbing and her voice was more clear than before when she spoke: "My name is Amanda."  
"Well, Amanda. Who is that man?"  
"Tony Amberlay. We have to run away. That monster can be back here in any time!"  
"Don't worry, pretty lady. We're four and he's one." Stoker tried to calm her down.  
"You don't know him as I do...he is very strong, and maybe, he will have his new assistants with him."  
The mice weren't sure that they understood what she was talking about but they went out through the dark hall, and outside the house.  
"Hmm, our problem is that two bikes can't take five persons." Said Modo.  
"I can walk."  
Kickstart looked at Amanda and then at the other three mice, then back to her.  
"You want me to follow you?"  
Amanda looked at him, and said: "Yes, yes...I'd love to. "  
Kickstart took her hands in his and said: "Don't worry, I will be with you."  
He was surprised over his own feelings for this human female. He examined her body carefully.  
She **was** very beautiful...that darkbrown hair, those deep eyes and her percelain face.  
"Okay Kick." Said Thottle. "You can handle this situation by your own?"  
"Sure I can. Don't worry."  
Throttle and Modo drove away with Stoker, and Kickstart was left alone with the Earthling.  
He looked down at her, she looked up at him.  
"Please, let's hurry."  
The martian nodded in reply and they started to walk down through the street while all dark shadows grew longer and the sun disappeared quickly like in an old Dracula-film.  
Amanda was all shaken up after all shocks that evening. But when she saw the tall, grey martian mouse, his tall and strong body, walking by her, she just felt...safe.  
It was something special about him that made her feel so protected. She moved closer to him while they walked.  
She didn't expect him to do it but when he recognised how she got closer laid he his right arm around her.  
"What's your name?"  
"Kickstart."  
"Why did you come here, to this house? Is it because the files I copied? You traced me?"  
He looked down at her and she saw that he hadn't expect that question from her.  
"Well...that's right, but was it really you..."  
"You hesitate just because I'm a female? And female can't handle computers? Right Mr Male? "  
Kickstart lost the word but succeed to say: "It...it wasn't like **that** I meant...I'm sorry."  
"No. **I** am sorry. Shouldn't have yelled at you because I am so touchy right now."  
The martian and human looked at each other silently until a smile appeared in Amanda's face and he couldn't hold the smile back either.  
She tried to lay her arms around his neck but couldn't because he was too tall.  
Kickstart snickered, wrapped his arms around Amanda and picked her up. Amanda could feel the warmth from his body and the hands on her back, a warm feeling flew inside.  
The bad memories just faded out and she understood what was happening to her, though she wasn't the one who believed in "love from the first sight".  
Even Kickstart didn't realise what had happened to him. Never had he felt like this for a female and especially not for a HUMAN female. Not as quickly like this. Amanda was so different from all other girls he had met.  
He let her down and put his hand beneath her chin.  
"Did he hit you?"  
She nodded slowly. Her face changed, now it looked dark and scared.  
"I'll never hit you. Never." Kickstart let out before he realized what he actuallyy had said. "Sorry...I... I didn't mean like that, sorry...I didn't mean.."  
"It's okay, Kickstart." Her voice was calm and soft and he hands rubbed his cheeks.  
Kickstart tried to clear his thoughts, it failed. It was too hard for him to think straight when he could feel the light smell of Amanda close to him, when he saw her face.  
__Oh man! I've falled in love!  
  
Charley woke up, and found that Vinnie sat on a chair a few meters away and watching her.  
"Morning babe, I have been here with you **all** the time."  
"Oh, this _is_ horrible. A psycho is after me, and I'm alone with you!" she sighed.  
"Oh babe, I'm not gonna hurt you so much. I promisse!"  
Charley smirked at the comment.  
Suddenly opened someone the door and went inside. In instincts grabbed Vinnie his laser-gun and turned around.  
"Ah, calm down punk! It's just us!"  
Stoker grinned when Vinnie gave him a glare and put down the weapon.  
"We have met a woman. She walked home with Kickstart so they will be here soon...and Charley. It looks like we have found out where your psycho is..." Said Throttle.  
"A lot of photos...of you..." Stoker continued and a scared smile appeared in his face. "With both nails and needles pierced through them..."  
"Okay, thank you, that's enough!" Charley said and shook for a moment.  
"Don't worry, Charley mam. You are not alone here."  
"I know Modo, I know...if I was alone, I wouldn't made it."  
The silence fell over the fellows.  
"What happened to Kickstart and the Amanda-girl?" Asked Stoker worried.  
No one answered.  
  
Like they were two teenagers again, Kickstart and Amanda was kissing each other on that empty street.  
"We'd better go now. The others are going to be worried." Gasped Amanda between the kisses.  
"Please, don't stop."  
"Mmmm, 'kay, I won't as long as you won't.." she whispered and continued and shook by complacency when she felt Kickstart's hands on her body.  
After a couple of minutes let Kickstart her go.  
She giggled and kissed his cheek.  
"Come one...let's run, hurry up!"  
"Okay!" Smiled Kickstart in reply and they ran down through the street.  
After a few minutes had they reached the garage and both breathed heavily.   
Suddenly, without warning, fell the martian backwards. His clothes were suddenly covered by his blood.  
After a few seconds had Amanda understood what had happened.  
"_Kickstart!_"  
She fell before him and the garage's frontdoor opened with a slam.  
Vinnie, Throttle, Stoker, Charley and Modo ran out and just stared.  
"What happend!!!?" shouted Stoker.  
"Hhe shot him! Amberlay shot him! He must has seen us and followed!"  
The laying martian who was still awake tried to calm her down.  
"It's not...as bad as it seems...darling. It's just a....flesh-scratch." His voice faded out, and he fell unconcious.  
**

  


(

**¯`·.©º°¨¨º°©**|**§__To be continued...****§|©º°¨¨º°©****.·´¯)  


  



	3. Love and hate

Love and hate

Love and Hate  
****

Author: Ludwig Tr. (1997/98)  
Genre: Thriller/Romance  
  
Kickstart opened his eyes and and stared up at a white roof.  
All air in the room felt fresh and summer-warm, cleaning. With closed eyes breathed the tall martian of it until his ears heard something so he opened his eyes, only to see Amanda's green eyes watching him.  
She didn't reply his smile and her hand touched his cheek gently, caressing his face.  
"For one moment, I thought we were going to lose you. The bullets went right through your shoulder."  
"It doesn't feel that bad. Just a dull pain. Don't worry, I will be all right."  
A long silence followed.  
"I think we should sleep for a while." Amanda suggested when the silence became too intense.  
"Where is your sleeping shelter?"  
"They made me a bed on the floor, over there..." she pointed at some felts in a corner. "I tried to sleep, but I couldn't. So I've watching you for a few hours."  
He was quiet and felt how that love-flame for her burnt inside.  
"I have to sleep now, and try to get some sleep too Kick."  
She rose from the bed but Kickstart grabbed her arm gently and dragged her back.  
"Amanda... Sleep here, with me, in my arms." He begged and then kissed her throat, let the hands caress her body. She shivered by his gently touch.  
"No... You are tired and need your sleep. Maybe we shouldn't..."  
"I'm not tired. I have never felt more awake before."  
"But you're hurt..."  
"It's nothing. I can take more than you think. I love you, I really know that I love you. I want you to know it."  
She looked in his eyes one more time before she let go of the fear and whispered, "Prove your love Kick. I will prove mine."  
They began to kiss each other passionately and Amanda let him pull her down in the bed. He didn't wear anything else than his trousers and she had only a nightdress. Their clothes disappeared like in a dream.  
  


***

  
Tony Amberlay is a total different stat. He was furious and ran around in his house and broke everything he could break into pieces.  
Amanda had changed sides. How did she dare to do something like that?  
Of course it was because that martian he had shot.  
He wondered if it hadn't have been better to kill that mouse, instead of just warning them.  
That mouse surely hated her by now, because she was a danger to him. Amanda would surely come back.  
She was coming back, soon.  
One thing made him very annoyed: the knowledge that he couldn't reach Charley.  
It was dark night outside the windows but he didn't sleep. He didn't need sleep.  
The big room he was in was cold, and empty. Except an armchair.  
He sat down and stared into the air, thinking.  
Suddenly he got an idea and he started to giggle. _Kill them all, that's it, that's it!_  
Everyone, but he had do it very neat and vee-eery properly.  
  


***

  
When she woke up was calm heartbeats what she heard.  
Amanda felt warmth from another body close to hers. Her eyes didn't want to open, didn't want to take the risk and wake up from a wonderful dream.  
A hand gently rubbed her face, forcing her to take the risk. She gazed into Kickstart's dark-green eyes.  
"Mornin'." he said lowly and smiled at her. She cuddled up closer to him and his arms welcomed her.  
"What a night. You're hurt but I didn't even remark it."  
"**I** didn't ever notice my wounds."  
They were silent until he suddenly said: "I have to leave, when this is over. I can't stay on Earth."  
"Please don't leave me here. Take me with you."  
"You really want to come with me?"  
"Yes. Yes! Kickstart, don't you dare to leave me."  
He laughed, kissed her tenderly and said: "Don't worry my love. I will never, never leave. Don't even think about it."  
"It is so strange. We met yesterday, but it feels like we've known each other for years. We're behaving worse than teenagers."  
"Yeah, but it feels GOOD sweetie. It feels **really** good. And right." Kickstart answered quickly and kissed her again.  
Someone knocked the door and walked in. Charley was standing there and just looked at them and Amanda released herself from Kickstart's arms and sat up.  
"Huhm, morning. It was kinda lonely...to sleep alone."  
"It makes me feel better to see that you two are all right. But you'd better get up now. The other guys will soon wake up." Charley said and couldn't hold a smile back.  
She left and closed the door.  
Amanda got up and quickly she dressed herself again.  
Kickstart just laid in the bed, looking at her. Thinking about how beautiful and wonderful she was, wishing he could have her in his arms the whole day.  
"I will be right back." Amanda said and kissed him before she left the room.  
Kickstart sighed a little bit sad and stretched slowly.  
  


***

  
Limburger sat in his office and turned around when he heard Tony Amberlay entered the room.  
"Guests should knock on the door!" Limburger said quite chilly.  
Tony didn't answer him and made a gesture.  
Five dark-dressed men entered the office.  
"Here is your new staff and they will help you to destroy those annoying Martians you were talking about. Now to the business: where's the payment?"  
Limburger didn't try to sound nervous when he said: "Ehh, it's down in Karbunkle's lab, come with me."  
Amberlay followed and the five men followed too without saying a word.  
In the lab, Limburger talked as friendly as he could.  
"Well, old friend. Let's have a drink first." He waved to Karbunkle, who gave them two drinks.  
"_In your drink, dear Amberlay, Karbunkle has his elixir which will take your will away!_ " Limburger thought.  
Amberlay gave him a suspicious look.  
"Okay. Let's drink this stuff, and then go to business."  
With a quick move took Tony one of the glasses, nd Limburger took the other.  
Tony wasn't blind and knew that there was something in his drink, so he had quickly and easily taken Limburger's drink instead.  
He emptied it slowly and Limburger did the same with the mind-controller-drink.  
At once he fell into a kind of trance and Amberlay sighed loadly.  
"How stupid to even TRY to play easy tricks like those with me!"  
He turned to Karbunkle. "Let's see how effective this stuff is!"  
Karbunkle went back, but two of the men came up behind him. He started to sweat.  
"Heh heh..." he laughed nervously.  
"Okay, you fucking fish face!" said Amberlay in a cheerfully voice. "You have no money to pay me with, right?"  
"Uuh, That's ri..., uh, right." Limburger answered.  
"As I thought from the beginning! Okay guys. Let's have a little bit fun!"  
The men started to laugh and Karbunkle looked like a little boy who just had realized that his dad was going to spank him.  
  


***

  
Limburger Plaza was a real chaos when Tony Amberlay and his five men left.  
They carried some useful things they had found and they all felt in high spirits.  
Tony laughed for himself and thought about what he was going to do with Charlene later in the day.  
He was going to kill her, before the mice's eyes, kill her slowly. Then he would kill that mouse he shot yesterday before Amanda's eyes, then one after one.  
The dark brown eyes of his glowed for a second by the thought and he laughed slowly.  
It was not good to hurry and Limburger was out of the game. He could fix other business and wait until that other mouse had healed, then he could kill them all.  
  


***

  
The days passed slowly, and it was very silent in the city.  
Tony Amberlay was totally gone but the Biker Mice slept in the garage just because it was safer for everyone.  
The Biker Mice had heard that the whole Limburger Plaza was almost destroyed by someone and both Limburger and Karbunkle had been taken to a special hospital.  
In the beginning had they tried to find out what happened but Amanda told them not to think about it.  
"And I have **other** things to think about." she said to Charley one evening, blinked and went into the bedroom.  
Charley just smiled and shook her head.  
Amanda was surprised over the powerful feelings she had for him. She had thought that she never would love someone like that.  
All nights were they together, all days. They had started to share their lives with each other completely.  
It didn't take Kickstart too many days to come up to his feet again.  
  
One day said Vinnie: "That a psycho-guy seems to have disappeared."  
Amanda who sat in Kickstart's lap and cuddled with him suddenly stopped and looked at Vinnie.  
"Don't be too sure. Tony Amberlay is like a snake. You don't recognize him before he goes to attack. He will never give up so easy. I'm scared."  
Kickstart held her close to him and let his left hand ran through her long brown hair.  
"Don't be scared, darling. I will protect you with my own life if necessary." he whispered.  
She kissed him in reply and Vinnie stared at them.  
"Hey Vinnie." Charley said silently to him. "You have Harley. Don't look so sad."  
"Yes, but she is far away. But...here I have you babe!"  
"Don't even think about it." Charley laughed.  
_Two weeks later.  
_Nothing had happened. It was so calm around that Stoker had started to talk about "traveling back".  
It was no use to stay. The information which had been stolen was in safe hands. Amanda had never given them to Amberlay and it was nothing to worry about after all.  
Their mission had ended many days ago.  
That morning when Kickstart woke up was Amanda gone.  
No one of the others had seen her leave and Kickstart was a little bit worried she wouldn't come back anymore.  
But she came back in the evening, looking very tired, but seemed to be in a good mood.  
Yet, something wasn't alright. She behaved strange, didn't eat or talk much and seemed to be in deep thoughts all the time.  
When they went to bed later that evening laid Kickstart his arms around her and smiled tenderly.  
She didn't reply the smile, just laid her arms around his body and rested her head against his chest.  
"Kick, there is something I have to tell you."  
"What is it sweets?"  
She was silent and shut her eyes.  
"What's the matter honey? Are you okay?" he asked worried.  
She slowly rubbed his naked chest almost as an answer, opened her eyes, gazed into his and spoke: "Kickstart...I...I am... I am pregnant..."  
It hit him hard, He just hadn't any words to reply with, they had disappeared. Stunned by the news.  
His gaze automatically ran down to her stomach and he just opened his mouth and closed it again. He was going to have a baby with her.  
"I am going to have an abortion next week. Don't worry."  
Kickstart woke up, laid his hands on her cheeks and looked deep into her eyes.  
"No love. I **want** this kid. I **want** to become a father. I will take care of you. Do you want the same?"  
She shook and whispered: "Yes, oh yes. I want to become a mother, and your wife. I will come with you."  
They hugged each other and Amanda almost cried by happiness.  
"We have to start to discuss names soon." laughed Kickstart and held her tight.  
  


***

  
Next morning were Biker Mice, Stoker and Charley in the small living-room and had breakfast, when suddenly someone knocked on the door.  
"I will check it out." said Charley and she went to the door.  
She opened it and jerked back in shock, but smiled widely at the same time.  
"Anthonie!!!" she laughed and the tall man smiled at her.  
"Charlene Davidson. It has been long time since the last time I saw you. Can I come in for a while?"  
"Of course, come in and meet my friends." Charley said and smiled.  
He closed the door and followed her.  
"Guys, let me introduce an old friend." Charley said to the Biker Mice and Stoker.  
She waved to Anthonie and he walked into the room and smiled kindly.  
"This is my old friend..." Charley said at the same time as Kickstart and Amanda entered the room via the 2nd door. "...Anthonie..."  
Amanda's eyes became big and an expression of horror appeared on her face.  
"But we often called him Tony...and..." Charley lost her words when she saw Amanda and realized the truth.  
Filled with fear turned she around slowly and looked at the tall man behind her.  
With a horrible quick movement had he grabbed her and before anyone could do anything did he put a sharp knife against Charley's throat.  
"Charlene, my little girl. I have got you now and I told you, that you can never escape." he mumbled calmly, then laughed.  
The backdoor broke into pieces with a bang and the five black-dressed men hurried into the garage.  
"Oh, my underlings..." Tony said and rubbed Charley's throat with the knife's blade while the men went in a fight with the Martians.  
Kickstart hissed to Amanda: "Run darling, don't worry about me! Be careful with our child!"  
She escaped from the room in despair and fear.  
A horrible fight started, five human men VS five Martian males.  
When they fought, Tony kissed Charley who was stunned by fear.  
He rubbed her cheek and whispered: "They wont survive this, my beloved Charlene...and you wont either..."  
But suddenly did he make a mistake; he took the knife from Charley for a moment.  
She kicked him on his lower shin and jerked away.  
"You fucking **BITCH**!!!" he roared and tried to grab her again. She jerked away again and he missed her.  
Tony couldn't say so much more because Throttle had attacked him from behind.  
Charley was safe and ran after Amanda, found her in the small bedroom she and Kickstart shared.  
"I have called the police...they'll be here soon!" Amanda said quickly.  
At the same time had two of the dark-dressed men been out counted, but three of them plus Tony Amberlay were still left.  
One of the men did a jump-kick on Stoker who fell to the ground with a loud thud, but in the next second had Modo grabbed him and smashed him into the wall.  
Throttle tried to lock Amberlay in a grip but the man was too strong.  
_Damn it!_ Throttle thought. _He is as strong as Modo!  
_With a horrible grin in the face punched Amberlay Throttle in his stomach so he lost his grip.  
He then laid his hands around Throttles throat and tried to strangle him.  
No air came down through Throttle's throat and he saw the world slowly fade out and a million of stars started to fly around before his eyes.  
Suddenly grabbed two strong arm Amberlay and jerked him away from Throttle who tried to breathe and now succeeded.  
He got up and coughed a lot.  
Two big police-men stood there and held Amberlay in a firm grip.  
One of them put hand-cuffs on him and he screamed in madness and rage.  
"Looks like we came at the last second mister!" said the second Policeman and helped Throttle to his feet.  
Amanda ran over to Kickstart who stood beside Vinnie and looked down at the five men they had knocked out.  
He opened his arms and hugged her softly and whispered so only she would hear it: "I want to hug you harder, but we have to think about our baby."  
She slapped him playfully, then laughed in happiness and kissed him.  
Three other cops came into the garage and dragged the knocked out men into a big van.  
One of the cops was female and she said to Charley: "Great job your friends over here did..." she looked at the Martians. "...to take care of these persons. We've been looking for them for a long time. They have a lot of crimes behind, so you don't have to worry about them. They will spend a lot of years in jail."  
"What will happened to Amberlay?" Charley asked.  
"He will be locked into a special clinic. He is one of the most dangerous men in the whole US and has to be kept very safe."  
"Well." she finished, "Thanks for all your help. You will hear from us later."  
She went into the big van and it drove away through the street.  
"Puh!" Vinnie said and wiped away some sweat from his forehead.  
  


***

  
Amanda hugged Charley hard and said: "I'm going to miss you."  
"I will miss you too. I hope you will have a great life up there."  
"I'm sure I will."  
"We have to leave." Kickstart said from behind.  
Amanda turned to Biker Mice and said: "I really want to thank you all guys. I'm sure we will see each other in the future the same to you Charley. Bye until then."  
She waved and followed her soon-to-be husband into the space-ship.  
It started and flew slowly up in the air, accelerated, and disappeared into the sky.  
  


***

  
  
The room was white and the lamps in the high roof were shining over it.  
In a corner sat a person in white clothes.  
His head was hanging and he mumbled for himself.  
A doctor watched him outside the cell.  
He left and the man in the cell suddenly went up, and started to fly around, hit the walls and screamed: "I am the father Time...**HA HA HA!!!** I control the world!!! **HA HA HA!!!**"  
His dead laughs echoed in empty, silent corridors, but no one could hear him.  
  


******

  
  
A very little human girl went into a big building somewhere in the universe.  
She was four years old and named Andrea.  
Fast as a wind ran the girl through the building and met many Martians who smiled when they saw her.  
Her target was a pretty small office.  
Inside the office sat a tall martian mouse behind a desk, working with some papers.  
He looked up when the door slammed open and saw the little girl.  
With a big smile raised the martian himself from the chair and laughed loudly when the little girl jumped into his arms.  
She hugged him and said with a clear voice: "I missed you dad and mom is pretty busy. Can I stay here with you?"  
"Of course dear." said Kickstart, his smile turning even wider.  
He placed his little daughter on the desk and sat down.  
"Dad, have you heard about what mom has found?"  
"Huh? No, what has she found honey?"  
"A piano! And she's going to teach me how to play it." beamed Andrea happily.  
"A _Piano?!_ In OUR home?!! Oh my **GOD**!!!" exclaimed Kickstart and raised himself so violently that the chair fell to the floor.  
"You'd better hurry dad! A few friends to mom have already arrived with it."  
Kickstart got a scared expression in the face when he understood what kind of music he would be forced to hear in the future, got up quickly and picked up his daughter in his arms.  
He hurried outside and left his office to the shadows.  


||

`·.¸¸.·`||`·.¸¸.·`|| __The End||`·.¸¸.·`||`·.¸¸.·`||  


  



	4. We are gonna be together forever

We are going to be together forever _A short introduction:  
_The location for this story is Mars, a little planet in the Milky Way all earthlings should know about. It's populated by martian mice and other not-too-kind creatures.  
Probably were the mice alone about beeing nice creatures even if some of them were evil-hearted.  
It's not very usual because of the wars; the mice feel like they were a big family, brothers and sisters of the war. They all fought for the same thing and helped each other through the same hell.  
Mars also has a few humans living on its surface, who by some reason has ended up there, mostly thanks to Plutarkians.  
Amanda Shannon was one of those humans who had not ended up there due to the Plutarkian wars.  
She had been forced to work for a psychopath on Earth and stole informations from the vulnerable Martian Computer System. The martians traced her though, and the famous martian fighter Stoker went down to Earth with a computer-expert; a mouse called Kickstart.  
On Earth contacted Stoker the Bikermice From Mars to help him and Kickstart to trace and capture the intruder. Amanda who was scared of the psychopath dared to join them and escaped from his hideout. Kickstart and Amanda found out that they had feelings for each other from the beginning and it quckly changed to love, both the martian and the earthling were alike and fit very well together.  
In the end, she followed Kickstart and Stoker back to Mars. Partly because she had no relatives or persons she would miss on Earth, but the most important reason was that she was pregnant.  
The story begins about eight months after they left.  
  
  


"We Are Going To Be Together Forever"  
****

Author: Ludwig Tr. (1998-99)  
Genre: Drama/Romance  
  
The little house was located in a town close to one of the freedomfighter bases. A green garden with flowers and a few trees surrounded it. Water was still unusual on many places at that time, there was more on other ones where the Plutarkians hadn't got any chance to steal it.  
The town blossomed even if there were no martian kids around, only single freedomfighters or couples.  
Amanda was the first person there to have children.  
She sighed and patted her enlarged stomache while she was making a breakfast.  
"Little one, little one. You are about to come out soon, aren't you?" she asked the baby inside her.  
For a while Amanda stood there not moving, then she felt how it moved inside her and a smile appeared on her face.  
There were not only a wonderful experience, there were negative sides about pregnancy. She was not able to move around as she was used to do.  
It was a big effort to only open the cupboard beneath the plate rack.  
She put up some bread and raised herself when she felt how two strong arms wrapped around her.  
Two hands slipped down over her big stomache and caressed it tenderly.  
An involuntary shiver went through Amanda's body and she turned around to face the martian behind her.  
He was dressed in his usual freedomfighter uniform, smiling.  
Kickstart was a tall martian, 6'6 and his girlfriend was only 5'7, so she had to lean her head backwards to meet his jade-green gaze.  
"Amanda..." His voice was loving. "How I love you honey. Love you so horrible much."  
He kissed her. Amanda felt like she was in heaven, with her boyfriend's arms gently holding her. Feeling him so close.  
They stopped kissing and continue to look at each other until Kickstart suddenly let his hand run down over her stomache again and asked: "How are **you**?"  
She laughed softly and stroke his cheek.  
"Just fine, there shouldn't be much time left. Feels like the little one could come out anyday now."  
He looked down at her smiling and let his hands continue to move slowly over her body while he drifted into some daydream.  
Soon he woke up and said: "Work is calling, but you'd better stay at home today too, if something would happend."  
Amanda wasn't a housewife. She used to follow her husband to the base where she had a work as computer programmer. Now, the young female accepted the fact to stay at home until the baby was born, but very reluctantly.  
He kissed her one last time before he left and took off on his bike. She heard the sound fade out and realized that she was not hungry anymore so she begun to put back the food. Suddenly a powerful pain hit her in the stomache and she fold herself double.  
"Ouuuuh..."  
Ten seconds later the pain disappeared as fast as it had come.  
'Shit! Not _now_... I should call him, but... No use, he's probably not even reached the base yet... And there is no use to make him worried since the aches can start one day before the redomption...' she told herself and breathed deeply.  
Also, the thoughts about laying in a martian hospital as the only human were not exactly pleasant.  
In that situation was the longing for Earth, for humans and Earth's hosptial very very strong.  
A new worry hit her with the same power as the pain: _maybe_ the baby would be a monstrosity...a crossbreeded "something".  
She felt panickstoke that this pregnancy maybe would be a curse, not a blessing as everyone as they'd thought.  
Why hadn't she thought about it earlier?  
Sweat were gathering on her forehead.  
Then was she hit by another pain in the stomache, powerfull enough to make her fall to the ground.  
It was so intensive that all thoughts just disappeared.  
This time lasted the ache only about half a minute.  
"They told me everything was okay..." she gasped to no one. "The martian nurse said that everything was okay, but maybe it was only okay in THEIR eyes..."  
Amanda got up to her feet again, shaking and tears started to flow out of her eyes.  
With tottering steps walked she up to the phone, and dialed a number.  
"_Hello?_"  
It was not Kickstart's voice, it sounded like Harley but she was not sure.  
"Can I talk to Kick..it's very important..."  
"_Hi Amanda. He hasn't come yet. Are you alright?_" asked Harley.  
"The aches have started..." said Amanda when a new pain exploded inside her and she fell to the floor unconscious.  
Outside the freedomfighter building got Kickstart off his bike and walked inside. The first one he met was Harley who came running through the corridor like there was a fire somewhere.  
"Kickstart! Kick...!!" she shouted.  
"But.…Harley...What in the whole world has happend?"  
"It is Amanda... She called just one minute ago....but I lost the contact! You must hurry home Kick...I think it is time."  
Without a word had he turned around and ran outside, threw himself over his bike and gave full throttle.  
She saw him disappear at the bike's max speed without putting his helmet on, and Harley mumbled a prayer about that he would reach the home alive and in time.  
  
"Amanda! **AMANDA!**"  
She didn't reply when he called her name so Kickstart hurried inside.  
He didn't have to search the house for long. She was laying out-knocked on the floor in the living room.  
"Amanda! Honey!! Wake up! Are you awake?? Are..are you okay??"  
"Kickstart..." she mumbled while her gace roamed around. "I...It hurts...horrible much...I...am...sca-red...."  
He picked her up gently and said lowly: "Don't be, I am here now. I am gonna take you to the hospital."  
"The baby...Kick..."  
"Don't worry Amanda. The nurses said it was okay latest time you were there..."  
"You...don't...understand me...Kick...please...please...the pain...can't take it..."  
She cried out again, her head fell back and all muscled tensed, then relaxed and she lost the consciousness.  
Luckily wasn't the hospital too far away.  
Taking her on the bike was out of the picture so Kickstart carried her outside the house, then ran as fast as he could.  
It was an exhausted and gasping Kickstart who entered the hospital with his unconscious girlfriend.  
"Oh my. She is about to give birth?" the nurse asked and got up from her chair.  
"Yes..." panted Kickstart.  
"Follow me, quickly." Said the nurse and hurried into a room not far away from the entrance to the hospital.  
"Lay her down here." Kickstart did as she told. "Now wait here for a while when I am getting the midwife. And remember to just take it easy, we can handle this. Don't worry. It's not unusual that women who are going to give birth for the first time are knocked out by the aches. Talk comforting with her if she wakes up."  
"I will."  
She left and he was alone with his girlfriend.  
She woke slowly up again and looked around in the room.  
"This is going to go fine love. We are in the hospital and the doctor will be here soon."  
The fear in her eyes surprised him so he leaned over her and said as softly as he could: "Don't be scared honeylove. I am gonna be here with you the whole time."  
"No...no..." she interrupted him. "I have to get it out...it hurts...too much...I can't take it...anymore… get...it...out...of me..."  
She cried out in pain again.  
Kickstart was shocked. "It??" Suddenly, everything was so clear and visible She had feared it all the time: that the baby would be a deformed 'something'.  
A chill went through him. Why didn't he think more about how the baby would look like when she told him that she was pregnant? But it was too late now, way too late.  
She continued to gasp and wail by pain when suddenly the door opened and the nurse came in followed by Rayve and another female doctor.  
"This is nurse Physiciany." Said the midwife Rayve to Kickstart, and Physiciany smiled.  
"Hi Kickstart, this will be going well. We have to move her to another room though."  
"Yes...of course..."  
They rolled out the bed Amanda was laying on outside the room and down through the corridor to the maternity ward.  
"You'd better stay outside..." Rayve started.  
"No! Amanda needs me!"  
"Mr. Kickstart, you should not..." Rayve said carefully. "I am gonna be honest to you. There is a risk that this redomption can be very hard and bloody."  
"**THAT'S WHY SHE NEEDS ME THERE!!**" Kickstart exploded.  
Rayve jerked back, shocked and surprised over that the always so calm Kickstart lost his patience so completely.  
He changed his face expression and looked guilty.  
"I am...sorry. I am just so worried about her."  
"I understand that. Okay. Come with me."  
She walked into the room and Kickstart followed.  
Amanda was laying in the bed, breathing hard and supressed painfully sounds still came out of her.  
Kickstart got a chair and sat down beside her, wiped away the sweat in her forehead and caressed her cheeks.  
"You are doing great Amanda. It will soon be over honey."  
"I am gonna give you an injection Amanda. It will mitigate the pain." Said Rayve calmly.  
While she gave the injection continued Amanda her own struggle.  
Tears streamed out of her eyes and she screamed over and over again.  
  
Two hours later was Amanda laying in the room, still completely darken after all the pain from the labour.  
Kickstart leaned over her smiling a smile which showed pure love and happiness.  
"They came out after all, as stubborn as their mother."  
She could not answer him, she just looked at the two little infants in her arms. A boy and a girl.  
It was so amazing, so unbelievable, that they were two living things, they were hers.  
Her fear that they would be some strange breeding mix was also gone with the wind. Those two looked exactly like humans, and both had their father's jade-green eyes.  
When she had breast feeded them both came a horrible tired feeling over her.  
"Do you want to hold them for a while?"  
He nodded and took them both up in his arms, smiling again. He just couldn't stop. They were so small, his little kids.  
"Are you daddy's little loved ones? " he said while he cradled them.  
Neither of the babies gave any sounds since they had fell asleep and so had Amanda.  
He suddenly stopped smiling and scowled, gettomg a feeling that something was not alright.  
Still with the infants in his arms went he towards Amanda. Something was dripping from the bed.  
Holding the babies with his left arm pulled Kickstart off the sheets.  
All white sheets were painted with blood  
Someone had discovered it at the same time as he did. Rayve stood there stunned for one second, then pushed the alarm button and a few doctors were inside the room in a few seconds.  
Then was everything only chaotic.  
"Bad bleeding... prepare for acute operation immediately... hurry up before she looses too much blood..."  
"We don't have...matching blood group...earthlings bloodgroups are not...**HURRY!**"  
Kickstart was standing alone in the room when he woke up from the shock, still with his kids in his arms, pale in the face.  
  


***

  
"Wake up Kickstart. Wake up." Said Rayve and shook the tall martian carefully.  
He opened his eyes, heavy with sleep. After the two babies had been taken care by a nurse who had to do some tests had he fell asleep on the couch.  
Rayve waited while he woke up and had collected the thoughts again.  
"How is Amanda? Please tell me that she made it. Don't tell me she didn't..."  
"I have both good and bad news." Rayve interrupted. "The good ones first: Amanda is alright. We could stop the bleeding before she had lost too much blood. She will go through this very well, I am sure. She has also asked for you and the babies, but is asleep now."  
In his whole life hadn't he felt a such relief. All worries just disappeared from his heart.  
"The bad ones, are... Since her womb didn't conctract as it should, caused it a bad bleeding we couldn't stop. We were forced to operate the womb and Amanda won't be able to have children again. I am sorry, but there were no other choices if we would have a chance to save here."  
"Does she know about it?" he asked after beeing silent for a while  
"Yes. She collected herself rather quickly after she woke up and I told her. I promise you, she took it very well and said that she already have the two most wonderful children she could wish. And I have to say that she is very right." She ended with a little smile.  
Kickstart was overwhelmed by relief.  
"May I see her?"  
"Well, not right now when she is asleep. You should lay down here and sleep a little bit too. I am going to get you a felt."  
After she had left removed Kickstart his biker boots, laid down on the couch thinking. Soon was the nurse back with a felt she put over him.  
"There. And if there is something you need, just go to the reception."  
"Thanks."  
She left and he was laying there, waiting for the sleep while all thoughts were flying around inside his head.  
_So I am a father, finally, with one son and one daughter. Andrea and Alexander. Not really martian names, but like I care about it.  
I wonder what mom and dad would have said if they saw me now? They always told me what a wonderful daddy I would be, and I always claimed that kids were not my thing.  
_He chuckled at the memory.  
_My little kids won't have any relatives at all. Amanda don't have any, and neither have I. Damn those plutarkians... Maybe it was stupid to have kids in these days of wars, even if these areas of Mars are saved from the terror.  
What if they get hurted? I won't let anyone hurt them, but I couldn't save mom or dad either.. Could I possible defend my own family? No, I can't think like that!  
They look like humans and have my eyes but I don't care. No matter what they look like, humans are as beautiful as martians anyway. And they're still my kids.  
I hope they won't turn out strange because of my genetics. Maybe they do, thanks to me. It was so irresponsible to keep them. Why did I fell for it?  
Damnit Kickstart, stop thinking like that! Try to sleep instead!  
_His eyes were shut, his muscular body relaxed and the world started to fade out.  
_Everything is gonna be okay... They are gonna be lucky, I will love them with my whole heart and Amanda will too. I have them all, my family. This is going to be great after all I think, I hope. What could go wrong? After all incidents, it should be peaceful now. Don't worry loved ones, I will not let anything hurt you. I promise with my whole heart.  
_Sleep took him away from the land of reality and he followed its waves together with his girlfriend and kids, together forever in the dream.  
  


***

  
"Andrea and Alexander. Two beautiful names you've choosed."  
"You really think so?"  
"Yes. I do. Oh Amanda, they are so cute!"  
Harley held Alexander who looked up at her curiously.  
"They have their father's eyes, both of them. It's exactly the same colour."  
Amanda smiled tiredly and turned her head when the door opened and Stoker went inside. He had always been close to her and Kickstart, even if he was a very busy leader who usually were far away from the base they worked for.  
"Hi, how are you sweets?"  
"I am just fine. A little bit dizzy, but that's all. I made it."  
"You did it great sweets. Where do you have your husband by the way?"  
"He is away having breakfast somewhere. He hasn't got anything to eat for over one day."  
The male sat down on the chair behind her bed and watched the two newborn she held with clear fascination.  
"Never seen any Earthling-babies before Stoke?" Harley snickered.  
"No. Never."  
"You **can** hold them if you want to." Amanda insisted.  
Stoker picked the two up a little bit doubtfully. Two pair of eyes looked up at him interested and then couldn't he do anything else than smile.  
_Man, they are not acting so much different from martian infants._ He thought and asked: "Have you feeded them yet?"  
"Yes, and maybe I shold take them in case if one of them..."  
Amanda hadn't finished what she was going to say before the little girl puked right over Stoker's clothes.  
"**Hey!!**"  
Harley exploded in a laughing-attack. It was just too much to see that someone puked at the always respected and feared Stoker.  
"Oh! Sorry Stoke, I shouldn't have." Amanda took the babies back and looked repentantly at him.  
Stoker looked down at his freedom fighter uniform and couldn't keep himself from laugh at the whole thing.  
"What a bad habit. I really hope they will outgrown from it."  
Amanda fell into their laughing while she wiped away the rest of the puke from the little girl's mouth, while Harley helped Stoker to clean up his uniform a little with some paper. Someone opened the door and Kickstart entered the room. His gaze fell at Stoker and the puke at him.  
"Yo Kick, pal! You have a wonderful time to look forward to!" said Stoker with a teasing grin and wiped away the last rest of the puke from the uniform.  
  


***

  
  
"Daddy, please, read one more book? Pleeeaase?"  
"Yea dad, can't you read another one?"  
Kickstart took a deep breath and watched the two kids who were sitting in his lap.  
They looked up at him expectantly.  
It was in the end of may, year 1998. Andrea and Alexander had just turned five.  
The twins loved bookreading more than anything and seemed to not get enough even if he read for them at least one hour every day.  
_Maybe because they are so lonely when there're no other kids to play with. They are not allowed to go too far away, and there is not much to do._ he thought with a melancholic and guilty feeling. _But when they have turned seven are we going to brake up from this place and move to Tharos. They'll love that city.  
_"Com'on daddy. Are we forced to learn reading all by ourself to hear something, hmm?" asked Alexander impatiently.  
The martian laughed and ruffled his son's brown hair.  
"Not a bad idea, but okay... One more book, but then is it finished with reading for today."  
They practically beamed by happiness when their father put up another book and started to read.  
Suddenly broke explosions and load noises the peace.  
"What the..." Kickstart got up real quick and hurried towards the door. It slammed open and a pale martian hurried inside.  
"What in the whole Earth is going on Harley??"  
"The Plutarkians! They are here!"  
  
A group of fifty freedomfighters came riding on their bike to the base.  
Smoke and dust drifted around in the air and some parts of the building was set on fire.  
"We won this battle, but many of them managed to escape with newly taken prisoners!" Said Charger, a tall and muscular martian who was the command.  
The others were grave serious and Kickstart felt how that knot in the stomache refused to disappear.  
"Be careful now while we look for harmed and maybe even dead mice!"  
They nodded and started to search in the ruins.  
Only Kickstart stayed there without moving.  
"What's your problem? Go and help your bros!" Charger said.  
The other male looked at him and said: "My girlfriend was in there. She has not showed up."  
Charger didn't say anything.  
"She was not working in the bombed parts so I don't believe she is in there somewhere. We need to take up the chase of those plutarkians who escaped."  
"Impossible!"  
"**_Why do you say..._**"  
Sharp sounds cut Kickstart right off. Sound of weapons and screaming martians.  
"Oh my god! This was just a plot!" shouted Charger. "**They attacked the city while we were busy here!**"  
Other mice from the military had arrived by that time. Together with FFs were they rushing down to the city.  
It was like beeing ripped apart and Kickstart felt the panic grab him around the neck. His children were there and in danger with high possibility, Amanda was somewhere else, probably in danger too.  
  
"Harley, I am scared." Said the little girl who had looked after when her father rode off.  
Then broke the hell lose. Fire seemed to be everywhere.  
Windows exploded, people screamed and the sound of running feet echoed.  
The door suddenly slammed open and two disgusting putarkian warriors stormed inside.  
Never before had the two kids seen any of these aliens before, only heared about them. Seeing them alive was like jumping into a horror movie.  
"Look what we got here! Brats!" said one of them.  
"What are those things?" the other one asked.  
"Seems to be mini-earthlings to me. Let's catch em. Lord S. will be content with such unique prisoners."  
"Don't even think about it!" Harley said and pointed at them with a gun she luckily had taken with her.  
The Plutarkians sighed, put their weapons down and raised their hand-looking fins.  
A laserbeam came suddenly without forewarning flying in through a broken window and hit her. She fell to the floor with a thud.  
The two plutarkians looked at each other, grinned and put up their weapons agains.  
"Now where were we?"  
"We were going to catch the earthlings."  
"Oh yes, so we were."  
Alexander and Andrea were so stunned by horror that they didn't offer any resistance when the plutarkians grabbed them in the neck and carried them outside.  
_They are gonna kill us!_ Alexander thought panic-struck. _I will never see mom and dad again.  
_The paralysis stopped and he started to cry. His sister was still too horrorfied to think straight.  
"Quiet, you little rat!"  
Something very unpleasant was about to happend if he didn't do as they said. He knew it, but he couldn't stop the tears.  
The plutarkians stopped and the one who held him in the neck barked: "**Shut up you little creep, or I will give you something to cry about!**"  
They were cut off by a roar and Andrea woke up from the horror's trance. He came running over the hill, completely blinded by fury.  
The two plutarkians dropped their weapon in shock when the martian came flying against them.  
A fight which didn't last very long occured. It was a mircacle that he hadn't beaten the two Plutarkians to death.  
Andrea looked at her fathers enraged face and finally burst out in tears while Alexander sat on the ground, quiet and trembling. The tears had dried on his face, and his curly hair was a mess.  
That woke him up and Kickstart got down to his knees and dragged them both close and hugged them hard.  
"Sorry. Sorry... I am...I am so glad that you are okay after all." He mumbled with a broken voice.  
"Harley..." sobbed Andrea. "They killed her. And where is mom?"  
At the same time as the sorrow stung him heared he how someone coughed.  
They all looked up and saw Harley comming out of the house, staggering.  
He come up to his feet.  
"Harley! Are you okay??"  
"Ye...yeah..." she got out. "I am just...shocked. Was hit by...a laser beam. Not a deadly one...though."  
More freedomfighters had started to gathering on the streets. Kickstart carried his kids and walked towards a group with Harley behind.  
"How is it going?" he asked one of the group.  
"No big harm done. Well, five dead and fifteen harmed martians."  
"Have you seen my girlfriend?"  
"No. We haven't seen a trace of any Earthling. She is probably one of the captured. I am sorry."  
"Have...Have they sent any force to follow up the chase?"  
"Yes, they will be back in about twelve hours from now, I think."  
"Thanks for the information."  
  


***

  
"No. Absolutely no trace. We're sorry Kick, but she is gone."  
Stoker and another general from the army were alone in a room with Kickstart in the nondamaged part of the base.  
"And you are still searching the deserts?" He said between his theeth.  
"Yes, and no traces so far. I think we have to give up. I am sorry, but we can't continue looking forever." replied the general.  
The freedomfighter leader gave the general a gaze. He got the point and left the room.  
It was completely silent until Stoker said: "Old friend, you must understand that there's not much more we can do. We have been looking for them for over two weeks without results. We can't continue to waste the time at searching when there're lots of other important missions we need to do."  
Kickstart lifted his head and looked into Stoker's eyes.  
"My boy, hasn't spoken one word since that day. Not a word. He hardly eats. My daughter cries everyday. I don't know what to do. They don't want to be comforted. I can't be with them as much as I should... I don't know what to do anymore. I just don't know."  
"I can try to talk to them, maybe it is useless, but it's always worth to try. You were going to ask Harley to see after them tomorrow, right?"  
"Right."  
"Okay, I will do it for you if you want to."  
"Thanks for the help Stoke."  
"No problems. Now go home and try to take it easy, I know it is heard but try to live with it."  
Without a word Kickstart left the room.  
  


***

  
Next morning met the two martians outside the little house in the edge of the town.  
"Morning Kick. Are they awake yet?"  
"They are eating their breakfast right now."  
"I will look after them friend, don't worry. See you later."  
Stoker went inside the house and found the two children in the kitchen.  
"Yo kiddos." Stoker said while he went inside.  
"Hi..." Andrea said quitly.  
Alexander looked up at him and made a gesture which probably was some kind of greeting.  
With an inner sigh sat Stoker down on another chair and said: "Are you two kiddos alright?"  
"I guess we are." Replied Andrea in a flat voice.  
"But I can see that you are not okay. Kids, I know you are having a hard time, but don't lose the hope."  
"Have you ever thought about how it feels to lose your parents?"  
"Your father is not gone sweets."  
"He is. He will never have time for us anymore. He doesn't understand us and ask you to try to."  
"You are not fair now. I asked him myself to go here."  
"So why did you go here? What are you trying to win?"  
"Andrea. I don't recnognize you anymore. Where is the happy little girl I saw only a few weeks ago? Don't come and tell me she is gone." Stoker said after a while of silence.  
"I tell you that! I do! Right here, and right now!"  
She got up and rushed out and her brother also raised himself and looked down while he left the room.  
Stoker sighed and wondered what was going to happend next, since it really WAS impossible to try to talk to those two.  
Andrea climbed out through the window in her room, hit the ground and hurried away before Stoker had noticed her escape. She knew very well that she was not allowed to go out alone.  
So? What did she care about her dad's rules? She was completely clear about what to do.  
Harley could be involved in their mother's disappearance since she sure had a crush on their father.  
Now when Amanda was out of the game could she easily win their father's love, but it was not going to happend. At least not as long as Andrea could do something about it.  
  


***

  
"**Andrea??**" Harley exclaimed when the five years old girl walked into her workroom. "What are you doing here?? You know that you are not allowed to go out without any adult as company!"  
"You don't have to play my mother! You haven't catched daddy yet!"  
"_Catched?_ What, what do you mean?" Harley was totally confused.  
The girl went up to her and looked Harley straight into the eyes. Her green eyes were cold.  
"I know what you are looking for. You want dad to forget mom and choose you instead! But I will never let you do it! Never!"  
Harley's eyes widened.  
"_What did you say??_" She hissed and grabbed the girl firmly.  
Andrea didn't move a muscle and stayed there as a rock, completely sure that she was right.  
The female martian let the girl go and left her workroom to go and find Kickstart.  
A little shadow followed her and she was full aware of it, but didn't care frankly if Andrea heard what she was going to say next.  
"Hey, what's going on? Why so upset?" asked Kickstart when Harley marched into his office and slammed the door behind her.  
Andrea was eavesdropping outside the office and could hear them speak, quiet and intensive.  
After a short amount of time the door opened so quickly that she fell into the office and would have hit the floor if her father hadn't catched her.  
He grabbed her and his grip was unusual hard.  
Slowly raised Andrea her head, met her father's gaze, then looked away. Never before, ever in her whole life had she seen him so angry.  
"What have you said?? And you have went outside alone, though I have told you that you're not allowed to!" his voice was harsh.  
"I don't...I don't know...dad..." Andrea was so shocked that she didn't come up with a good answer.  
"Why did you disobey me? What did you say to Harley?!"  
Andrea who had been completely tensed until now started to shake, and he let her go when he recognised it.  
She slipped out from his grip and sank down to the floor and fought back the tears.  
"_My god_, what have I **done** to her?" whispered her father who seemed to be terrified over his own anger.  
Harley and he exchanged gazes for a short while then she left them. He shut the door, went over to the chair behind his desk, sat down and waited while he looked at her.  
"Aren't you going to come to dad after all?" He asked softly after a while.  
She shook her head.  
"Andrea... I am not angry anymore. And I am not going to stop looking for mom. Harley is a close female friend. Do you understand me? I am so sorry honey, what I did to you...was not right at all. I was too angry, because I fear what you could have went into when you were outside the house alone. I would never be able to live with myself if you were injured. Do you understand?"  
Still no reply.  
Five minutes later Kickstart raised from the chair and walked over to her and sat down.  
Andrea didn't try to stop him when he pulled his arms around her and hugged her softly.  
"Dad? Will mom ever come back?"  
"I don't know... I really don't know."  
Andrea looked up at him with tears glittering in her eyes.  
Kickstart hugged her for a long time, then wiped away her tears with a handkerchief before they left the office.  
  
While Kickstart walked out from the building, holding Andrea in the left hand came Stoker riding out from the west desert.  
A little figure sat before, him wearing a little helmet.  
Andrea bursted out in a chirping laugh when she saw him.  
The little figure got off Stoke's bike, went up to his sister and slapped her on the shoulder.  
She put of his helmet and snickered while she said: "Alexander, having fun out in the desert with Stoke, huh?"  
He didn't say anything, he just grinned at her and pulled her hair.  
"Ouch! Lay off!"  
Stoker went up to Kickstart and said smiling: "Seems like I managed to get a smile on the little one's lips by riding with him in the desert."  
"Thanks Stoke. If you only knew what a great help you have been."  
"I know. I know." Smirked Stoker.  
"There were some problems with Harley today, but I think they are all gone now."  
"Probably. The kids need some action, they laugh too little. Honestly, Kick. I think you should move to Tharos or another bigger town. They are not feeling well because of the isolation here."  
"I know, but it is not that easy."  
"No, but it's a big problem. Can you promise me one thing?"  
"Depends on what it is."  
"Leave this town when they turn seven, not longer. Their needs for contact with other children will grow much stronger soon. You know how I mean, right?"  
"Yes, and you **are** right. Okay, I promise."  
"Good. Maybe it's time for you to bring those two little brutes back home." Stoker grinned.  
"No!" exclaimed Andrea.  
"Huh?" Both Stoker and Kickstart looked at her surprised.  
"It is not fair!" she shouted. "I want to race in the desert too!"  
Kickstart and Stoker looked at each other and Stoker's face splitted up by a grin.  
"Okay, young lady!" he said and lifted her up in the air. "Get your helmet ready, it's racing time."  
Her face practically beamed when Stoker gave her a helmet and put her down before himself on the bike.  
"We will be back later." He said and waved to Kickstart before they raced out in the desert.  
Alexander went up to his father and made a gesture which meant that he wanted to know if they were going to go home.  
"Yes son. We're gonna leave now."  
He got on his motorcycle and Alexander sat down before him.  
While they drove away through desert sand Kickstart thought about Amanda as he used to do.  
_How I miss you darling. I wish you could hear me, I wonder if I am going to see you alive again. But I won't give up, Amanda. One day, maybe, will we be together again. I am longing for that day so much that my heart hurts.  
_They disappeared at the horizon.  
  
****

-= End =-  


  



	5. A sad martian tale

A sad martian tale

A Sad Martian Tale  
****

Author: Ludwig Tr. (1997/98)  
Genre: Drama/Tragedy  
  
  
Kickstart, a still rather young martian male was drowning in psychical pain, and kept wondering was why his life had ended up so bad and what he had done wrong.  
Two hours earlier he'd been in the kitchen when he got a feeling that he should check out what his two children were doing.  
He had walked out in the hall and discovered that his daughter was standing before the mirror and cried.  
"What's the matter, honey?"  
She didn't reply and he had wrapped his arms around her. Andrea had jerked away and stared into his eyes, shouting: "It's your fault!! Why did you have to make me? Why did you have to keep me? I **hate** you for it! You have made me to a lonely outsider, I am not Earthling or Martian! I am _NOTHING natural!_ I am a captive on this dirty and empty planet! _I wish I were DEAD!_"  
Before he had got any chance to answer, she had turned around and ran away.  
Kickstart fell down to his knees shocked by her words. Stunned.  
He was so lonely, alone with his kids who needed their mother. Maybe they didn't need him at all? Maybe he just was causing them pain?  
Everything felt hopeless.  
The chair didn't seem to exist, Kickstart didn't feel it's existence.  
All he saw and heard was his little girl yelling that she hated him and wished the death to take her.  
Her eyes had been filled with despair and confusion. Her voice so filled with desperation.  
Sorrow, frustration and doubts went through him in waves. He loved his kids above everything, why did punish him? How could he fail so completely with giving them what they needed?  
A lonely tear left his eye.  
Amanda, his girl was gone. She could be dead, or she could be alive. They had searched for her everywhere without results. Life was so empty without her.  
He didn't know if he could go through everything alone.  
  
Andrea on the other hand couldn't sleep that evening though she was very tired.  
Thoughts of her parents always pushed the sleep away and she usually had nightmares about her mother.  
She cried when she woke up from those dreams, but silent so her brother wouldn't hear her.  
Alexander, her twinbrother, always slept deeply and was not bugged by bad dreams. He didn't give any sign of having sleeping troubles at least.  
He had never talked much, so when their mother had disappeared had he shut himself and never spoke.  
Gestures were his only language .  
Andrea walked away from her sleeping brother as quiet as she could, stopped in the middle of the room and shut her eyes.  
An image of her father's brokenhearted face expression when she yelled at him came up in her mind.  
Never had she seen him like that before.  
Senses of guilt overwhelmed her. Now afterwards, she felt so bad for shouting such words at him. It had hurted him deeply, that was sure.  
There was something she never could change or deny: he was her father and he loved her, no matter what she said.  
Beeing alone was hard, she was so alone. Her father was the only one she really could talk to nowadays.  
When she had cleaned up the misty thoughts walked Andrea out from the bedroom, out to the livingroom to try to talk to him.  
He was sitting in the livingroom in an armchair all alone, hide the face in his hands.  
Shame filled her when she saw him sitting there all alone.  
Suddenly heard Kickstart her movement and looked up. His face was wet by tears.  
In her whole life had Andrea never seen him cry and she didn't like it. He always took everything calmly, never got upset. But now he just cried.  
Kickstart opened his arms for her without looking away.  
Almost like instincts forced her to, ran Andrea across the floor, flew into his arms and burried her face against him.  
Her dad hugged her hard and sobbed quietly.  
"Dad...dad I didn't mean what I said, dad..." she whispered. "Dad, I am so sorry..."  
He rocked her slowly and mumbled: "Of course, baby...I will always be here for you. You're my daughter, my beloved daughter. And you will always be my beloved daughter, no matter what happens."  
"Dad, I'm so horribly alone... I don't want to be so alone...I wish mom was here." she said crying.  
By now had Kickstart stopped crying and tried to comfort her as good as he could while she wet his clothes with her tears.  
They sat there for a long time, he held her and said softly: "Everything will be okay honey. One day, everything will be good again. Better times will come."  
  


***

  
Harley, a female martian waited for someone in a bulding somewhere on Mars.  
Kickstart came twenty minutes too late, that was nothing unusual. She never bugged him about beeing late since she knew that he had enough with problems.  
Immediately when he entered the room started he to explain that it was pretty much work with them, and he hated to leave them alone more than necessary, and therefor was it hard to arrive at the right time.  
Harley felt sorry for him. Everything seemed to be against Kickstart and he always felt worried for his two chilren.  
"Harley..." he said, looking tired and very exhausted.  
"Yes?"  
"I **have** to work the whole day and the most of the night too...so I wondered if..."  
"...if I can watch your kids, again?" she finished the sentence before he did, but realized that she had made him totally stunned with the question so she hurried to say: "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that K.S. I can take care of them, no problems."  
"You don't have to... I'll leave the work and take care of it another day..."  
"Kick, I **meant** it. I will do it and I like to take care of Alexander and Andrea, you know that. Don't worry."  
"Thanks, thanks Harley...I don't...really know how I can thank you for all your support..."  
Harley smiled at her grey, tired friend. "Work now and try take it easy. I will take good care of your kids."  
There was nothing special she needed to do that day. She had all time in the world watching kids, especially since she hadn't any herself.  
The female martian kickstarted her bike and drove away through the desert, down to a little city only a half mile away from the base.  
That city contained most FreedomFighters and no kids except for Kickstart's.  
He had been talking about moving, far away to a place with martian kids so Andrea and Alexander wouldn't live isolated too long.  
By now had Harley reached the city and drow through it and watched the martians on the streetsm uniformed.  
A cold aura was laying around the whole town. No children as long as she could see.  
Her target was a house laying in the edge of the city.  
There was a small garden was growing around the house. Martian flowers filled the air with their smell.  
Harley stood there for a while with shut eyes and enjoyed the smells, then stepped inside the house.  
Andrea came out from the kitchen at the same time she went inside.  
"Harley!" She ran towards to her and they hugged.  
Harley laughed and rubbed the girl's hair.  
"How are you dear?"  
"I am okay, but things could've been better."  
Alexander came out from the bedroom with a big book under his left arm and watched them.  
"Hello Alexander." said Harley and smiled to him.  
The boy looked as melancholic as always at her but nodded slowly in her direction and disappeared into another room.  
"He never talks. Never." said Andrea seriously, turned away from Harley and walked into the living room.  
Harley picked up her bag and looked inside the room and saw Andrea lay on the sofa, trying to do her studies.  
They didn't go in a real school, but some mice who were good teachers gladly took the teacher's role and helped them with their education.  
She hoped that they one day maybe would be in a normal martian school but she also wanted to go to Earth.  
Beeing with the race she felt she fit to.  
Her brother was gone as usual. Alexander always disappeared in the mornings and came back later in the evenings, and no one knew where he went. Probably to a lonely place so he could sink deep into the literature.  
Harley though that there wasn't anyone who really understood that boy, not even his own father.  
Light piano chords broke the heavy silence. A piece by an Earthling called Chopin.  
Harley recognized it as one of the Nocturnes.  
The piano was a black and solid thing.  
Andrea remembered her father's shock when he had seen what mom had found.  
She had been four years old at that time.  
Her dad listened to strange music, called trash-music and didn't understand the point with calm, relaxing piano music from Earth.  
Some mice had found that piano in an old Plutarkian base. Plutarkians had probably stole it from some place on Earth by some reason and never used it.  
The mice didn't understand what it was, and it was an accidental occurrence that her mother had went by and recognized the heavy thing.  
She had played a song by Chopin, the mice didn't get the point with such music, so she had played some swingy blues song and they found it very amusing to listen to.  
Martians would probably never understand human's classical music.  
With some sorrowful tones ended Andrea the Nocturne and looked in the music book which laid on the piano's black surface.  
Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart and Rachmaninov, etc.  
Old men from old times, only their music was still alive.  
She was facsinated by their music, and their grave faces which were pictured in the music book.  
After she had been reading in the book for a while decided Andra to play Chopin's raindrop prelude.  
The clear calm sound from the piano and all the notes she knew so well filled her and the building.  
It was like traveling into another world and running in a landscape built by the imagination.  
Like in a dream ended she the prelude with the last notes. They faded out slowly.  
Two hands were placed on her shoulders made her wake up. She turned around and met Harley's gaze.  
"You're great dear, you have been playing that piece without an error for about one hour now."  
Had she been out for so long? Andrea shivered.  
Harley noticed it at and put her arms around the girl.  
Andrea was silent for a long time, then said: "I'm worried for how dad feels. I yelled at him yesterday, said that I hated him..."  
" Why did you say you hated him?"  
"I'm...just so horrible alone. I hate what I am...because...I'm nothing natural. I'm a crossbreeding, which has made me into a human-looking-something. I want to be human. I miss mom."  
"So, so..." Harley rocked the girl slowly. "You still have your dad. He loves you more than anything else. He needs you and he has a hard time too. Try to understand him."  
"I'm trying, but it's so hard. He made us and they kept us...why did they decide to have us when they knew how we would end up? Why?"  
"You were made in a moment of love and it was love to you which made them decide to have you. Your dad tries to do everything for you."  
"I know, but it's so hard..."  
"Remember that your dad understands. He needs you and you need him. "  
Andrea just shut her eyes and relaxed in Harley's arms.  
  


***

  
The evening fell over the little city on Mars. The shadows grew longer and longer.  
Harley was worried.  
Alexander had been gone from home the whole day, he didn't show up when they had dinner either.  
"He had been away too long. Something must have happend." said Harley to Andrea.  
They were searching the whole house and the garden but he was nowhere to find.  
"Should we call dad?"  
"No, he has enough with work and problems." Harley replied and they started to search in the neighbourhood.  
No results.  
"Why did it have to end up to this?" Harley sighed and dialed the number to Kickstart's office.  
"Yeah, Kickstart here."  
"Hi Kick, it's me."  
"Harley? has anything happend? Is everything okay?"  
When she didn't reply at once came the question: "What has happend?"  
"It is Alexander. He has been gone for hours, and hasn't showed up. We have been looking everywhere."  
"I will be there in a short while!" he sounded stressed when he hung up.  
Harley sighed sadly when she put down the phone again.  
"Your dad is here in a few minutes."  
The girl hurried outside to meet him.  
After a few minutes of running could she see him when he came running towards her.  
Kickstart picked her up in his arms and continued to run.  
"He is gone dad, we don't know where he is." Andrea said and looked serious into her fathers green eyes.  
"We will find him Andrea." He replied.  
"You don't sound too sure dad..."  
"I...I am sure..."  
  


***

  
The night came closer and closer and made the searching harder for the mice who helped Kickstart and Harley.  
After a few hours gave the mice up. They decided to continue their search next day.  
Kickstart was almost destroyed by worry.  
Andrea gave him one last look before she headed to bed. At least was Harley there to hold him company so he wasn't completely alone the whole night.  
The bedroom was silent and dark so Andrea turned on her bedside lamp. It's light fell over the room and her twin brother who was standing there.  
"Alexander!!" she hissed. "Where the hell have you been all day??? We have been looking for you as crazy!"  
"I have been away, tried to find information about where mom is. If she is alive." His voice was clear but low.  
"What?? What information?? You... YOU TALKED, Alexander! You can still TALK??" Andrea exclaimed, filled with so many diffirent feelings that she didn't know how to handle them all.  
He laughed quitly and it was the mose wonderful sound she had heard for a long time.  
"Of course am I able to talk." He said quietly. "I just didn't want to let my pain hurt everyone, I had nothing to say that would make them happy."  
"Alexander, why did you do it? Dad loves us, he want to make our lives as good as possible..."  
"Don't you feel the pain? The loneliness, the isolation? I want to be on Earth, we're Earthlings in our hearts, sis. We don't fit here."  
Andrea and her brother hugged each other for a long time.  
"Sure, I feel exactly like you do." She whispered. "But dad can't leave without knowing what happend to mom. And he doesn't know how to live on Earth as a human. He needs her."  
He nodded in reply.  
"Why did you never talk to daddy? You really should have..."  
"I told you, but, I also wanted to see... How much he cares."  
"Damn good way to do it!" Andrea said sharply.  
"You weren't too nice to him either!" he answered her chilly.  
It was too true, so Andrea shut her mouth and sighed.  
"I'm going to leave, sister. And I want you to follow me."  
"Why? Where are we going?"  
"We have to try to find mom again. I think I know where she is. About 65 miles west of this city."  
"Are you sure??? **How** did you find out?"  
"Sssh! Be quiet or they'll hear us! Anyway, I sneaked at some of those Sand Raiders..."  
"You did **_WHAT??!!!_**"  
"SSSHHHH! You heard what I said sister! I know where she is. Mom is ALIVE Andrea. But she is a captive."  
Andrea didn't know what to say, she was completely stunned.  
"We should tell dad...at once... " she got out after a while.  
"No, no. You know what will happened then? A lot of Freedom Fighters and guys from the army will try to free her. Then will the evil ones hurt or kill her. Two kids are much more silent and innocent looking than a whole army of mice. I am leaving now. Are you following me?"  
Andrea hesitated. She also understood that she would never be able to stop her brother and it was better to follow him instead of leaving him all alone. She could help him to stay out of troubles.  
"I am with you, though it doesn't mean that I like it!"  
"Me either, but we have to do it."  
  


***

  
He saw his girl, Amanda. Saw her wonderful, lovely face again, and theirs two kids came running behind her.  
They tried to reach him and almost succeed when suddenly the ground opened beneath them and he saw his beloved ones fall into the deep.  
Kickstart screamed when Harley started to shake him violently.  
Soon had the reality wiped away the last pieces of the nightmare.  
"You had a bad dream, that's all," Harley said and comforted him as good as she could.  
His breathing was heavy and fast.  
"Where are they? Where are my kids?"  
"Andrea is sleeping, Alexander is...still gone.."  
"I want to check out if she is all right." Kickstart said, raised himself from the chair and walked quickly to his kid's bedroom and opened the door slowly.  
The room was filled with cold, fresh air because the window was wide open.  
A shudder went through Kickstart's back when he turned the lights on.  
The room was empty.  
Chill filled him when he looked around in the empty room.  
"HARLEY!!!" he shouted while he ran out of the room.  
She came running from the living room as fast as she could.  
"What's going on K.S?? "  
"**_ANDREA IS GONE TOO!!!_**" Kickstart screamed in panic.  
Though it was useless ran she into the bedroom and looked around. It was totally empty.  
"**They have left me!!** _I couldn't take care of them, and now have they left..._" Kickstart said, beeing on the verge of tears.  
"Don't be silly!" Harley said and suddenly noticed the white note on the little table beside Andrea's bed and read it out load.  
  
"_Daddy.  
_I and Alexander took off to look for mommy.  
He has found information by sneaking at some Sand Raiders.  
Look in the east for us, about 65 miles.  
Love you,  
_Andrea_."  
The silence fell over the room.  
"How can they transport themselfes through a such big distance?" Harley asked Kickstart.  
He didn't answer, just stood there and his gaze was very far away. His fist turned white when he spoke:  
"If they hurt my kids...**if they hurt them**..."  
"**Kick!!!**" Harley shouted so he fell out of the trance. "**_HOW_** can they travel??"  
Kickstart was silent for a few seconds, then said: "I think...I think maybe they have tried to travel with some of the Sand Raiders, without their attention..."  
Now, it was Harley's turn to gasp.  
"We have to tell Throttle, Vinnie and Modo about this! They will help us."  
  
  


***

  
  
"The note is all we have to go on." Kickstart finished.  
Throttle sighed. The whole story was so heavy. Theirs old friend seemed to have only problems.  
Vinnie and Modo were grave serious, Vinnie hadn't the silly humour he used to let everyone hear.  
"Old friend..." Throttle said and sat down beside Kickstart. "You have done as much as you have could. No one can blame you for doing something wrong and I'm sure they don't. We will find them K.S. I promise we will find them."  
When they went outside and Kickstart got on his bike gave he Throttle a glare and said: "I hope you guys take it very easy now."  
"We will K.S. Don't worry."  
Harley, Stoker and a black mouse called Spark were going to follow them and try to rescue the kids and Kick's girl.  
Kickstart looked at Spark without too much joyment.  
That mouse was completely black and seemed to be black inside too. Seemed to be cold as a freeze.  
"Are we ready for this mission?" said Stoker. "We also have to be very careful!"  
"Don't you tell **me** to be carefully!" said Spark chilly and put his helmet on.  
"Okay, let's whip tail for Kick's family!" Vinnie yelled. Everyone glared at him, but since he didn't even notice rode they off without a word.  
  


***

  
Two Sandraiders came driving in a special built jeep far away from the martians who just took off.  
The jeep was filled with weapons and other tools the Plutarkians needed.  
"You and your damn ideas!" Andrea hissed to her brother who didn't answer her.  
"Oh, com'on! Stop this damn silence of yours!"  
"Well, would you go with mom's life on your conscience for the rest of your life?" he finally answered. "Knowing that you _maybe_ could have done something, but didn't, and she is dead?"  
"We don't know if she is alive or not, Alexander...this is...**insane**!"  
He brother just mumbled something she didn't hear in reply, lift up a flap of the felt which covered all weapons and looked outside.  
"Rezorc!" yelled one Sand Raiders to the one in the jeep. "Take these weapons to the warehouse."  
The Sand Raider mumbled an answer no one heard and drove into a big warehouse.  
He stopped and jumped out of the jeep.  
Under the big felt were Andrea and Alexander stunned by fear for a moment. They thought the Sand Raider was going to take out the weapons and discover them.  
But they didn't have to worry. The Sand Raider only left the warehouse and a heavy silence fell over it.  
The two sibs woke up from the fear's trance and jumped down from the sand car.  
"Well... We are stuck in here now. What next?" Andrea asked he brother sarcastically.  
"Let's go and check out if there's any exit out of here." He answered calmly.  
They ran across the big floor until they reached the door the Sand Raider had entered.  
Alexander opened it very carefully and looked inside.  
A big corridor was everything behind the door. No living creatures as far as he could see.  
"You really think it is a good idea to go inside?"  
"Better than staying in that warehouse and wait for the Sand Raiders' company." he answered her and ran silently through the big corridor.  
She hesitated a few seconds, but when her brother stopped and gave her an angry gaze did she shrug and followed him.  
The first minutes were silent and no one met them.  
Soon could they hear voices from the other side of the corridor, and they came closer.  
Luckily was a door open only about four yards away, so the two earthlings ran inside the room, closed the door and waited.  
Now could they hear the conversation between the rats and plutarkians who came walking.  
"...and those Freedom Fighters tried to destroy the west base. Whatta mistake!"  
"And they don't understand how we're planning for the big war. When that day comes, Mars will belong to us...for all time. With the Martian Government is behind..."  
The voices faded out and the twins looked at each other.  
"A big war!" Andrea whispered. "We have discovered something **big**!"  
"Oh, _brats!_ Now you have went into big trouble!" a voice sounded from behind.  
The twins turned around fast as a lighting.  
Behind them stood a little ugly man in white lab coat and behind him a big Plutarkian who looked to be a Plutarkian with high status.  
It didn't change the fact that he looked completely horrible.  
He waved to two rats who stood behind him and they went towards and caught the sibs.  
They screamed and tried to get free though it was useless.  
"Of course have you discovered something big, but does it matter when you never will be able to tell anyone about it. Well, I don't know WHY two stupid brats have come here, or WHO you are. But we will make sure that you never leave this place, alive." continued the Plutarkian. "Take them to the test-room."  
Andrea shuddered when she heard about 'test room'.  
When two guards grabbed them from behind tried they to get free. It really didn't work.  
"Hmm, wait. Put them into the jail first! They are way too upset. Keep them in the little jail so they will be tired and don't make such resistance when we need them."  
The rats nodded and put their strong hands over the screamins kids' mouthes, then dragged them into a room only a few yards away.  
They opened the door and threw them inside.  
"Enjoy your company!" one of them said and shut the door with a bang.  
Andrea and her brother looked around in the room they were in.   
A shadow which looked like a human stood in the darkness. not far away, unmoving.  
It slowly moved towards them and suddenly fell a ray of light over the it's face.  
"Mother!" Andrea whispered.  
Amanda was frozen to the floor while she watched her kids she hadn't seen for over one year.  
Her little daughter came up on her feet and stared at her as though she really wanted to confirm if it was her real mom or not.  
The two kids threw themselfes in their mother's arms and hugged her for a long time.  
Amanda felt how tears streamed from her eyes. It was so long time ago since she had held her children.  
  


***

  
"Lord Stilton's castle." Modo muttered. "You really think all three of them are inside? I wonder how they found out about his headquarters?"  
"Sneaking around Sand Raiders and rats?" mumbled Kickstart worried.  
The seven mice reached the big castle and stopped for a minute.  
"It looks like it's completely deserted!" said Throttle. "No guards, no plutarkians. I guess we should enter before they come back from, where-ever-they-are."  
His company nodded and they drove into the big building with Stoker first.  
There were only a few guards who were outknocked without problems.  
"Okay, let's leave our bikes here and continue by foot!" Stoker said. "These corridors is bad to drive in!"  
All mice jumped off their bikes and ran deeper into the building with the weapons ready.  
  


***

  
"A family reunion. How sweet!" said a voice scornfully from behind.  
Amanda and her kids jerked.  
The Plutarkian standing in the doorway looking at them.  
"Karbunkle would love to examine two kids who are a mix between Earthlings and Martians." he continued.  
"So be good now kids and follow without resistance. We will not harm you...too much."  
"Fuck you, Stilton!" Alexander said icecold.  
"Oh, what a language you have, my young man. You have sneaked enough to know my name too. I feel honoured that you show me a such interest. Guards!"  
Two other rats hurried inside.  
"Catch the two small mixed-breeded creatures and take them to the laboratory for examination."   
Alexander and Andrea were catched by strong furry arms again and Stilton pointed at Amanda with a blaster.  
"And you stay cool Earthling! Don't even try to free them. It will just be useless. You never will see them alive again anyway."  
Amanda cried while the rats carried out the struggling kids  
Stilton followed, but stopped by the door and said laughing: "Aww, don't cry Earthling. We won't waste their lives for nothing."  
Poor Amanda sat down on the floor and continued to cry. Only a few minutes ago had they been her's again, but now were they lose forever. Soon would they be dead, sliced or operated to death by those heartless creatures.  
**NO!** It was not allowed to happend! Not as long as she could stay straight up.  
All sorrow and helpless feelings were suddenly replaced by pure anger.  
In a corner laid a small iron stick and she grabbed it.  
Using it as weapon would only be stupid, but she could use it at the camera in the corner.  
She went straight up to hit and smashed the video camera a few times.  
Not much was left of it when she was finished. Soon would the guards be there so she had to hurry.  
"Locking me into THIS room alone, was not smart! Definitely not!" she told herself while she grabbed a can of oil which was standing on a shelf.  
Quick footsteps cold be heard and Amanda hurried to put oil over the floor before the door.  
Keys rattled outside and she waited beside the door for the right moment.  
The door slammed opened and two Plutarkian guards hurried inside.  
Everyone should know that it's not good to have oil beneath your feet when you're running, and the Plutarkians got to know that very quickly.  
They fell to the floor with a thud while Amanda hurried outside, closed the door and locked it with the keys one of the guards fortunately had left in keyhole.  
Keys were probably very usefull in the horrible castle, almost a treasure. She was glad she had them but the time was short and she had to hurry up.  
She ran through the corridor and suddenly smashed into someone who grabbed her with his strong hands.  
  


***

  
Modo opened all doors on the left side and Throttle the ones on the right side.  
Vinnie, Harley and Stoker watched the way behind them, Spark and Kickstart watched the way before them.  
It continued in that way until they heard quick footsteps comming closer. The person would reach them in a few seconds.  
They put up their weapons and were ready to kill.  
Only a few seconds later rounded someone the corner and ran into Spark.  
He grabbed the person firm, but released her when he recognized who she was.  
Amanda stared at them and then fell her gaze on Kickstart.  
Her husband, she had almost giving up the hope about seeing him again.  
Kickstart went up to her, wrapped his strong arms around her waist and picked her up from the floor in a big hug.  
No one said anything, they just didn't need to. Her arms around his neck, she rested against him and let all the feelings of fear and despair just fade out.  
They were finally together again.  
"Our kids...we have to find them Kickstart...otherwise...will they hurt our kids...they will kill them..."  
"**What??!**"  
He let go of her and she watched him and his company while she continued: "They took them to the lab. We have to get them before Karbunkle..."  
Her voice broke and tears glittered in her eyes.  
Modo's eye flamed.  
"Let's hurry up!" he growled. "I will personally take care of Karbunkle!"  
Amanda threw the keys to Throttle.  
"Hurry!" she shouted and began to run.  
"Thanks!" replied Throttle and ran after her, tight followed by the other mice.  
  
"Don't be scared little girl...this is not gonna hurt." said Karbunkle while he filled a syringe with morphine.  
Andrea sat captured in a kind of chair and shook by fear  
Three Plutarkians and two rats guarded the room, and one of them prevented Alexander from escaping by holding him firmly.  
"NO! **Stay away from me!**" Andrea shouted.  
"Hold still!" Karbunkle snapped and grabbed her right arm.  
He gave the shaking child the injection and grinned evilly when she slowly relaxed and fell into sleep.  
"Now for the second one." He said and the grey rat who held Alexander put him into another chair roughly.  
  
"There! There is the lab!" Andrea gasped and pointed at the closed door.  
"Wow, could you know that?" Vinnie asked who hadn't noticed the word on the door: "LAB"  
Andrea didn't answer him and stood there, grave and silent when Stoker walked up to her and opened the door a little.  
He saw Andrea laying unconscious on a table and Alexander sat shaking on a chair, hold by a big rat.  
Beside the rat bastard stood Karbunkle preparing a syringe with a few guards around.  
Stoker turned around in rage, talked quiet and with noticeable wrath: "We have no time to lose. Let's do it now!"  
His fellows nodded and Stoker kicked in the door with a load bang.  
Karbunkle dropped the syring in surprise when the mice stormed into the room and attacked the enemies.  
One rat attacked Stoker with a load scream. Stoker ducked and gave him a hard punsch in the stomache, dragged him up again and knocked the rat out completely.  
Another one pulled up a big knife. Its cold steel shone in the light of the fluorescent tubes.  
He went to attack with a shrill sound.  
Amanda were stunned by fear when the big creature came flying with her as target, but broke the paralysis and got out of the way. When the rat turned around to locate her did she give him a hard kick in the scrotch.  
That rat lost all his energy by a sudden and went down completely when Kickstart gave him a punch, hard enough to make him chill out for a long time.  
By now were their enemies down for counting.  
Amanda ran up to her son and grabbed him while Kickstart leaned over his daughter.  
She wasn't dead, she was sleeping. Her face calm and her breathing was normal.  
Kickstart felt how that cold chilliness inside left him when he picked up a still living Andrea.  
"Looks like the operation was successful." Stoker said, smiling wide.  
Kickstart gave him a gaze filled with happiness in reply.  
Now were they all together again and no one could separate them again. No one would be able to!  
"We have to get out of here!" Amanda said quickly. "Before they all come back. They will have a lot of weapons with them and we won't have a chance. They're planning a big war!  
The mice froze into their bones.  
"_As I suspected!_" Throttle thought for himself. "_They will try to take over the whole planet now._"  
"Why do you have to run so fast?" gasped Alexander while he ran behind Spark.  
The tall black mouse stopped, picked him up and continue to run with the others.  
"**The Biker Mice From Mars**, plus a lot of important freedomfighters, **and** two kids ready for Karbuncle's lab! What a day!"  
Stilton's triumphant voice echoed in the corridor and the group stopped before their bikes.  
Plutarkians and Sand Raiders stood there and wated for them with their weapons ready.  
"Well done Biker Mice, but that wasn't enough. You're finished."  
"Not without a fight!" Throttle yelled and pulled up his blaster.  
Once again a fight occured. Spark put down Andrea and Alexander behind the motorcycles and said to the bikes: "Now watch these two and protect them. Is that understood?"  
The biker engines gave a low sound as reply.  
Spark joined the fight. They fought for their lives and were successful.  
Stilton had escaped the battle when he saw that they were going to lose, and when Vinnie knocked out the last rat sounded Spark's voice, sharp and upset through them all: "**_Kick!_** **Amanda!** **Your boy has been hit! He is hurt badly!**"  
They ran over to Spark who had fell down on his knees before the injured kid.  
Alexander was laying on the ground, not moving, hardly not breathing. His clothes were painted with red blood.  
Spark's sharp face showed deep grief, something unfamiliar when it came to him.  
"He will not survive...I am...sorry... A rat shot at the bikes and hit him... and the bikes were not fast enough..."  
The bikes stood there, not moving, their control panels were not flashing. They seemed to be completely in a stand-by mode, like they shared the sorrow.  
Kickstart shook his head endlessly, couldn't stop. He fell down before Alexander and laid his hand on his forehead.  
It was still warm, his little body struggled against death into the last moments.  
Amanda fell down at the other side of him and caressed her son's cheeks, so stunned that she hardly couldn't move.  
"Breathe, my son. _Breathe!_" Kickstart shook him carefully. "_Breath_e, you have to breathe Alexander... breathe...please...breathe..."  
The boy laid silent and didn't breathe anymore.  
Amanda started to cry and her hands searched desperately for any pulse or life sign from her son without results.  
She looked up at Kickstart, then at the others and shouted with a voice filled with clear pain: "**_He has always been with me!!! HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WITH ME!!! AND NOW...HE'S DEAD!_**"  
Probably was she about to break down completly.  
"**I felt him grow...inside me... I gave birth to him... he...was...with me...he was...mine... my boy ...AND NOW...he is...gone...FOREVER! HE...IS...GONE!!! HE HAS BEEN...WITH ME...ALWAYS!** "  
Amanda couldn't say anymore and cried out her bottomless sorrow.  
Kickstart laid his arms around her and held her as tight as he could, trying to comfort her.  
The others stood around them, silently.  
They all shared the loss, a six years old child who had been with them his whole life, who now was dead.  
Andrea didn't cry because she was asleep. She dreamt like children do: of the life like a big and good place, a treasure.  
The night fell over Mars, life would never be the same again.  
  


***

  
Alexander was dead, no one could deny it. He was gone and had left his life too early, way too early for beeing just a kid who had the whole life before him.  
His parents had problably not been dealing too well with the sorrow if they hadn't got one child left, unharmed.  
Andrea cried a lot too, her beatiful kid dream were crushed, maybe for good. Though everything could she take her brother's death better than anyone else.  
"Kids do have a great ability to accept how life changes." Harley told Amanda one day. "Even if they are harmed psychically can they move on more easily than any adult."  
They sat in the living room in a little house which laid in a town called Tharos.  
Kickstart and she had moved with Andrea because that city contained schools and a wonderful nature.  
Tharos were a well known city, mostly because of the beautiful butterflies which lived only there.  
Andrea was incredible happy to leave the isolated and lonely place where she had grown up her first seven years.  
She had no big problems to get among with martian teenagers. Her parents agreed about that it was probably one big reason to why she could handle her sorrow much better than they did.  
Amanda held a cup of tea in her hands and looked at it and said: "It was now almost one year since Alexander left us...still do the sorrow torture me sometimes."  
"I understand...I understand..." said Harley silently.  
"Harley... Do you know that I can't have more children? I was damaged when I gave birth last time... Andrea is all I got..."  
"I know Amanda. But it's wonderful to see Andrea. She is beautiful, intelligent and strong-minded. You should be very proud of her. And she is alive. She deserves you and you deserve to have her. You deserve to be really happy again, one day."  
They were silent for a long time and the evening fell over the town outside the house.  
A wonderful, light evening which smelled of flowers and the sound of shouting children who were playing outside, until their parents yelled at them to come in and have supper.  
The door opened and soon entered a very tired Kickstart the living room.  
"Oh, hi there Harley." He said and smiled tiredly.  
"Hi Kick. You okay? You look so exhausted."  
"I am allright, but I am very tired."  
"Don't work too much Kick, it's not good for you. Not good for anyone. I have to go. See you tomorrow." Harley waved to them and exited the room. They were left alone.  
Kickstart sat down in an armchair and they looked at each other in silence.  
Amanda got up from the cough, walked over to him and sat down in his lap.  
He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead tenderly.  
They sat like that for a long time, while the darkness fell outside and the town went more and more quiet.  
No one of them said a word. Words were not needed. They stayed silent and only looked each other in the eyes.  
"I would like to have a baby Kickstart." Said Amanda after awhile. "But I can't have more children, and besides... No kid can ever replace Alexander, no one..."  
The martian kissed her again while he rocked her slowly and comforting.  
"We have Andrea, honey... We also have to heal our wounds though it will be hard. Our son will always stay in our hearts."  
"I know, but I loved him so. God, I love you and Andrea so badly Kick. You and her are the ones who are my life. I don't want to lose you, I would not be able to continue to live if I lost you. "  
He stroke his hand over her nutbrown hair and looked deep into her eyes.  
"Don't worry , I will not leave you alone. Andrea won't leave you either."  
She relaxed and let him comfort her and tried to gain more strenght.  
Andrea was sleeping with some friend that night. They were alone.  
When the time was 01:19am said Kickstart tenderly: "We have to go to bed now, darlin'."  
He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.  
They fell on the bed in each others arms kissing.  
  


***

  
Andrea played a melancholic prelude on the piano.  
The prelude sounded sad, but comforting in some way.  
She sat in the living-room and played the big black piano which had been in her life since she was four years old.  
That was nine years ago, time went on so fast.  
She had wished she could play Rachmaninov some years ago and now could she play one of his Preludes.  
While she played came the memories of the big war, only months after Alexander's death.  
Modo had been captured, Vincent had disappeared and Throttle had been injured badly.  
But the evil plutarkians were gone for good and more places like Tharos, the city she had lived in when Alexander been alive, could grow up.  
Many mice were wiped out in the big war. The fear had been horrible. All days had she wondered if her dad was still alive, or if Plutarkians suddenly would storm into their house and take her with them.  
Neither of it happend luckily.  
Harley and Stoker were alive too.  
She was so happy that the war finally was over, she only wished that Modo and Vinnie who had rescued her, her mother and brother would be safe and sound somewhere.  
The sound of the other prelude she started to play was hard and stern.  
While she played wandered her thoughts away and the reality was turned off.  
Her father entered the room and watched his daughter play.  
She was not that little girl anymore, she had grown up to be a young and very beautiful teenager who looked much like her mother.  
Kickstart suddenly felt very old, though he was only 46.  
When she stopped playing walked Kickstart up to her, immediately recognized Andrea his presence and raised from the piano chair.  
"You play so wonderfully, my daughter." he said, smiled and they hugged.  
No answer, they looked at each other for a while.  
When Andrea looked at her grey dad, his green eyes and that white ear he had could she see that he was still young, but **looked** so old and tired.  
"Love you dad." she whispered and stroke his furry cheek. A smile formed his face and his eyes became more clear while she told him that.  
"I love you too, honey."  
She turned her head away and said: "I have to continue practising."  
The calm pieces filled the house.  
It took Kickstart a pretty long time before he could stop watching her.  
He left her and walked out of the living room while he let the music fill his ears.  
From the piano came the last tones and faded out in the air for all time.  
  
**

(¯`·._ (¯`·._ (¯`·._( || - THE END - || )_.·´¯)_.·´¯)_.·´¯)  


**


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